Dammit, it was at the Prudential Center? Should have gone.

Seriously considering getting into this again.

AUGUST 27, 2004 - SMACKDOWN!

The last SmackDown! of August will culminate in a massive Summerslam rematch as the Hardy Boyz defend their World Tag Team Titles against the team they won them from, The Rock and John Cena in a hardcore match! Plus, a 20-man battle royal to determine a #1 contender for Jeff Hardy's Intercontinental Title - a title match that will be held next week on this show.

The show kicks off with a six-man tag match pitting all three Dudley Boyz against the up-and-coming New Generation stars BJ Whitmer, Christian York, and Trent Acid. The Dudleyz triple-team Acid to start the match until Whitmer tags in, allowing them to turn the tables and isolate D-Von. Eventually, Acid meets Spike up top and took him over with a super Frankensteiner for the win. A big win for the newcomers!

Twenty SmackDown! superstars hit the ring next for a shot at the Intercontinental Title. Nova is the first victim, courtesy of a spinning back kick by Zach Gowan. Aaron Stevens quickly takes out Chris Nowinski as well. Brian Kendrick is the third casualty, taken out by Carlito. John Layfield takes Mark Henry out next. Stevens gets his second elimination of the match as he takes out Akio. Carlito also gets his second elimination as he dumps out Gowan. Johnny Jeter is next out, thanks to Generalin Intikami. Matt Stryker takes out Colt Cabana, only to quickly get taken out by Jamie Noble. Layfield gets elimination #2 as he dumps out Jay Briscoe, and we're down to ten superstars left. Nunzio is the next man to fall as Chavo Guerrero takes him out. Intikami is out next, giving Aaron Stevens his third elim. Chris Kanyon takes out Funaki and Layfield back-to-back to join up with the double-elim stars. Stevens takes out Noble, and he's now taken out 1/5 of the stars in this match! As he celebrates, though, Kanyon gets his third by dumping him out, then follows up by taking out Carlito. It's down to Kanyon, Chavo Guerrero, and Dave Batista for the title shot. Chavo takes out Kanyon, then nails Bats with a brainbuster, then tosses him out for the win!

Chavo cuts a quick promo about his title match next week. Short and sweet, but it gets the job done.

Up next, it's two of the top stars of the Cruiserweight division (and SmackDown! in general) Rey Mysterio and Christian going one-on-one! They put on a match that most definitely doesn't disappoint. Eventually, Christian hits a fallaway slam on Rey and distracts the ref, allowing new Cruiserweight Champion Tajiri to hang Rey out across the top rope, allowing Xian to put him away with the Unprettier! After the match, Rey fights back, driving off both heels.

Rey grabs the mic after the match and cuts a promo about how he thought this business with Tajiri was over at Summerslam. But if he's so dead-set on doing it again, let's do it!

Tajiri's got his first title defense next against Rico. This match isn't quite as hot as the previous one, but both men still look fantastic. The champ hits Rico with a big kick to the face and amid the confusion, Christian hits the ring and blasts Rico with an Unprettier. Tajiri gets the cheap pin! After the match, Christian hits Rico with two more Unprettiers before walking away.

After the break, a badly-beaten Rico struggles to his feet and talks up the feud with Christian. Pretty similar to Rey's promo from earlier. These feuds need to end, and they need to end now!

Paul London is one of the very best bumpers in wrestling, and he's up to the task next as he takes on Brock Lesnar. London gets in enough offense to where he looks fantastic, but eventually Lesnar's power is just too great and he picks up the win with the F5.

It's more exciting Cruiserweight action as WCW alumni Eddie Guerrero and Billy Kidman go at it. Eventually, Eddie picks up the win, hitting his frogsplash after a big spin kick.

Matt Hardy makes his way to the ring for our main event, but he's cut off by The Rock. The two go face-to-face and almost come to blows until an army of referees can separate them until it's time for our main event. Rock clearly took offense to Matt hitting him with the Twist of Fate at Summerslam!

And now it is time for our main event as John Cena and The Rock cash in their rematch clause in a Hardcore match for a shot at the Hardy Boyz' World Tag Team Titles! Rock hits Jeff with a shoulder tackle while Cena hits a DVD on Matt. The challengers are fired up! Double suplex on Jeff, then Rock whips Matt into a table that's been set up in a corner. Jeff breaks a hammerlock on Cena while Matt hits a rolling kick on Rock. Matt hits a legdrop on Rock, sending him through a table! Jeff hits Diamond Dust on Cena, allowing Matt to hit Rock with a spinning back kick. Jeff hits the Swanton Bomb and the champs retain as SmackDown! goes off the air.

AUGUST 30, 2004 - MONDAY NIGHT RAW

The first full year of the Pat Dooley Era of World Wrestling Entertainment comes to an end as the World Title #1 contender tournament continues with a second-round match pitting WWE Tag Team Champion Kane taking on Fred Williams. Williams manages to get in a bit of offense, but Kane eventually dominates, picking up the win in a squash with the Tombstone. Afterwards, Kane pounds the hell out of Williams some more. Kane has earned the first quarterfinal berth in the tournament!

Kane's tag team partner Big Show takes on fellow Natural Born Ministry member (and Kane's brother) Kane next in what winds up being a horrible match. Undertaker winds up pinning Show with a handful of tights. After the match, Taker goes to shake hands with his former minion, but Show refuses and walks off.

Taker gets a hype video while I try to salvage his career. This guy's overness is dropping like mad, and this match definitely didn't help. But he's in the quarters, so I have to try something.

Tag-team specialists Shelton Benjamin and Rene Dupree are out next for another second-round match. Vast improvement over our previous match, as this one goes back-and-forth several times. Eventually, Shelton hits a butterfly suplex to set up a superkick for the win.

Our next second-round match pits Rhyno against William Regal. Rhyno has been on a hot streak of late, including his Summerslam victory over Undertaker. He picks up another big win here in a competitive match against the veteran Regal. He hits the Gore for the win. The announcers bring up that Rhyno's quarterfinal opponent is Undertaker, who will be looking for revenge after two PPV losses to Rhyno this year.

World Champion Sean O'Haire hits the ring. He cuts a very good promo about his victory eight days ago over Kurt Angle to not only retain his title, but drive arguably the greatest wrestler in the history of the industry out of WWE forever. He then loses his cool a little bit talking about how he ended Kurt Angle's career just like he told us he would, he retained the World Title just like he told us he would, but the next night on RAW, they couldn't even give him a slot. But that's fine. Fortunately, the Natural Born Thrillers stacked the brackets. His eight stablemates all got slots in the tournament for a shot at his title, and then all of his original NBT friends got wiped out. So that's when O'Haire leapt into action. He wants to apologize to Shawn Stasiak for accidentally costing him his match against A-Train last week. And he can assure Damien that tonight he's going to do whatever it takes to help him get into the quarters along with Kane and Undertaker. But, obviously, he's not telling us anything we don't already know.

Earlier tonight, Charlie Haas' tag team partner Shelton Benjamin advanced to the tournament quarterfinals. Now Haas attempts to join his partner, but first he has to get through the "Legend Killer" Randy Orton! They put on a pretty good match that ends with Orton hitting the RKO for the win and a quarterfinal berth. The announcers hype up Randy Orton against Kane next week!

Chris Jericho heads to the ring to take on his former Thrillseekers partner Lance Storm. And despite the fact that I clicked "Put on a good match" and gets a 79% match quality rating, Jericho literally uses two moves in the entire match to get Storm to tap out. Super Frankensteiner, Walls of Jericho, win. After the match, Storm extends his hand to his former partner, who shakes it.

2004 King of the Ring and United States Champion Chris Benoit gets the hype video treatment. Hopefully this will cheer the miserable bastard up before he kills his family or something.

The (relatively) undefeated rookie monster Damien is out next for his match against A-Train. The match itself is mediocre, but the crowd is into both guys. Eventually, Train manages to surprise Damien with the Derailer. Hoping to save the match, Sean O'Haire hits the ring and blasts Train with the Prophecy. Unfortunately, the ref sees it and disqualifies Damien. Whoops! A-Train advances to take on Chris Jericho in the quarters.

And now for our main event, pitting the aforementioned Benoit against ECW original Tommy Dreamer. The winner will face Shelton Benjamin next week in the quarterfinals. Solid match that ends with Benoit getting Dreamer to tap out to the Crippler Crossface.

So, the elite eight is set:

Rhyno vs. Undertaker
Shelton Benjamin vs. Chris Benoit
A-Train vs. Chris Jericho
Kane vs. Randy Orton

Who will take on Sean O'Haire at Unforgiven for the World Title?

<font color=goldenrod>Poor Luther Reigns :( Big guy didn't even get a win, did he?</font>

AUGUST 2004 RECAP


RAW

(Overall Won-Loss) Main Event (Aug. W-L, Overness) (Matches)
(34-25-3) Chris Benoit (3-1, 94) (L Angle, W 6-man tag, W fatal fourway, W Dreamer)
(28-30-2) Chris Jericho (2-1-1, 93) (D RVD, W 6-man tag, L fatal fourway, W Storm)

(Overall Won-Loss) Upper Midcard (Aug. W-L, Overness) (Matches)
(14-3) Mickie James (1-1, 100) (W fatal fourway, L 8-diva tag)
(18-4) Damien (4-1, 85) (W Rhyno, W Angle, W Shelton, W Reigns, L Train)
(40-20-1) Sean O'Haire (3-0, 79) (W Rhyno, W Shelton, W Angle)
(29-21-2) Rhyno (3-2, 85) (L O'Haire, L Damien, W 6-man tag, W Taker, W Regal)
(31-26-1) Rob Van Dam (1-3-1, 84) (W 6-man tag, D Y2J, L 6-man tag, L fatal fourway, L Kane)
(11-10) Randy Orton (2-2, 85) (L Shelton, W 6-man tag, L fatal fourway, W Haas)
(26-31-1) Undertaker (1-2, 63) (L 6-man tag, L Rhyno, W Show)

(Overall Won-Loss) Midcard (Aug. W-L, Overness) (Matches)
(12-8) Victoria (0-1, 71) (L 8-diva tag)
(12-10) Jazz (1-0, 74) (W 8-diva tag)
(14-12-1) Trish Stratus (0-2, 80) (L fatal fourway, L 8-diva tag)
(30-28-1) Big Show (3-2, 56) (W w/Kane vs WGTT, W w/Kane vs. ECW, L 6-man tag, W Val, L UT)
(28-28) Shelton Benjamin (3-3, 78) (L w/Haas vs Monsters, W Orton, L O'Haire, L Damien, W Jindrak, W Dupree)
(19-22) Chuck Palumbo (0-4, 69) (L 8-man tag, L battle royal, L 4-team elim, L Dreamer)
(15-20) Johnny Stamboli (0-4, 66) (L 8-man tag, L battle royal, L 4-team elim, L Haas)
(18-27) William Regal (3-2, 70) (W Reigns, W battle royal, L 4-team elim, W Cade, L Rhyno)
(20-31) Charlie Haas (2-3, 72) (L w/Shelton vs Monsters, L battle royal, W 4-team elim, W Stamboli, L Orton)
(14-24) A-Train (3-1, 78) (L battle royal, W 4-team elim, W Stasiak, W Damien)
(16-28) Tommy Dreamer (3-2, 71) (W 6-man tag, L w/Storm vs ECW, W 6-man tag, W Palumbo, L Benoit)
(6-11-1) Gail Kim (1-0, 69) (W 8-diva tag)
(14-25) Lance Storm (3-2, 62) (W 6-man tag, L w/Tommy vs ECW, W 6-man tag, W Conway, L Y2J)
(6-12) Molly Holly (0-1, 74) (L fatal fourway)
(6-14) Lita (0-2, 77) (L fatal fourway, L 8-diva tag)
(9-25) Sylvan Grenier (0-4, 70) (L 6-man tag, L battle royal, L 4-team elim, L Fred)
(11-31) Rene Dupree (1-4, 72) (L 6-man tag, L battle royal, L 4-team elim, W Tom, L Shelton)
(9-29) Val Venis (1-3, 74) (W 8-man tag, L battle royal, L 6-man tag, L Show)
(5-25) Rob Conway (0-4, 68) (L 6-man tag, L battle royal, L 4-team elim, L Storm)

(Overall Won-Loss) Lower Midcard (Aug. W-L, Overness) (Matches)
(17-9) Mark Jindrak (1-2, 60) (L 8-man tag, W w/Stasiak vs Fred/Tom, L Shelton)
(24-25-1) Kane (4-1, 52) (W w/Show vs WGTT, W w/Show vs ECW, L 6-man tag, W RVD, W Fred)
(2-3) Fred Williams (2-2, 61) (W 8-man tag, L w/Tom vs Jindrak/Stasiak, W Grenier, L Kane)
(2-5) Shawn Stasiak (1-3, 68) (L 8-man tag, L battle royal, W w/Jindrak vs Fred/Tom, L Train)
(1-3) Tom Howard (1-2, 52) (W 8-man tag, L w/Fred vs Jindrak/Stasiak, L Dupree)
(3-11) Lance Cade (1-2, 61) (W 8-man tag, L 6-man tag, L Regal)
(1-4) Shaniqua (1-0, 52) (W 8-diva tag)

(Overall Won-Loss) Opener (Aug. W-L, Overness) (Matches)
(1-2) Jacqueline (1-0, 60) (W 8-diva tag)

(Overall Won-Loss) Future Endeavors (Aug. W-L, Overness) (Matches)
(33-28) Kurt Angle (1-2) (W Benoit, L Damien, L O'Haire)
(0-11) Luther Reigns (0-2) (L Regal, L Damien)

Non-Wrestlers (Overness)
Eric Bischoff (96)
Shane McMahon (89)
Al Snow (75)

Managers
Dawn Marie (75) (Lance Storm and Tommy Dreamer)
Terri Runnels (70) (Lance Cade, Rob Van Dam, and Val Venis)

RAW Title Changes
United States - Chris Benoit won a fatal fourway (8/22)
World Heavyweight - None (Sean O'Haire has been champ since 7/25)
WWE Tag Team - None (Big Show and Kane have been champs since 7/26)
Women's - None (Mickie James has been champ since 6/7)

RAW Feuds
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA

AUGUST 2004 RECAP

SmackDown!

(Overall Won-Loss) Main Event (Aug. W-L, Overness) (Matches)
(40-21) Brock Lesnar (4-1, 100) (W Rock, W Cena, W Kendrick, L Eddie, W London)
(38-21) The Rock (2-3, 100) (L Brock, W Jeff, W w/Cena vs Acid/BJ, L w/Cena vs Hardyz, L w/Cena vs Hardyz)
(37-25) John Cena (2-3, 98) (W Matt, L Brock, W w/Rock vs Acid/BJ, L w/Rock vs Hardyz, L w/Rock vs Hardyz)
(29-29) Christian (2-3, 92) (L Rey, L 6-man tag, W w/Kidman vs London/Rico, L Rico, W Rey)
(27-31-1) Eddie Guerrero (2-2, 100) (L Jeff, L Matt, W Brock, W Kidman)

(Overall Won-Loss) Upper Midcard (Aug. W-L, Overness) (Matches)
(10-5) Jeff Hardy (4-1, 93) (W Eddie, L Rock, W w/Matt vs Chavo/Stevens, W w/Matt vs Cena/Rock, W w/Matt vs Cena/Rock)
(37-20) Matt Hardy (4-1, 96) (L Cena, W Eddie, W w/Jeff vs Chavo/Stevens, W w/Jeff vs Cena/Rock, W w/Jeff vs Cena/Rock)
(32-26) Rey Mysterio (3-2, 92) (W Xian, W 6-man tag, W Nunzio, L Tajiri, L Xian)
(23-27-1) Tajiri (3-1, 85) (W London, L 6-man tag, W Rey, W Rico)
(22-27-2) Billy Kidman (2-3, 84) (W Rico, L 6-man tag, W w/Xian vs London/Rico, L London, L Eddie)
(21-26) Rico (2-3, 85) (L Kidman, W 6-man tag, L w/London vs Kidman/Xian, W Xian, Tajiri)
(8-22-1) Paul London (2-3, 82) (L Tajiri, W 6-man tag, L w/Rico vs Kidman/Xian, W Kidman, L Brock)

(Overall Won-Loss) Midcard (Aug. W-L, Overness) (Matches)
(2-1) Christian York (2-0, 61) (W 6-man tag, W 6-man tag)
(31-18) D-Von Dudley (3-1, 77) (W 8-man tag, W w/Bubba vs Layfield/Bats, W 6-man tag, L 6-man tag)
(29-20) Bubba Ray Dudley (3-1, 75) (W 8-man tag, W/D-Von vs Bats/Layfield, W 6-man tag, L 6-man tag)
(33-24) Dave Batista (2-2, 80) (W Hurricane, L w/Layfield vs Dudleyz, W w/Layfield vs Noble/Nova, L battle royal)
(21-19) John Layfield (1-3, 74) (L 8-man tag, L w/Bats vs Dudleyz, W w/Bats vs Noble/Nova, L battle royal)
(2-2) BJ Whitmer (2-1, 63) (W 6-man tag, L w/Acid vs Rock/Cena, W 6-man tag)
(2-2) Trent Acid (2-1, 62) (W 6-man tag, L w/BJ vs Rock/Cena, W 6-man tag)
(13-15) Chris Kanyon (0-3, 73) (L 8-man tag, L 6-man tag, L battle royal)
(13-17) Nova (1-2, 70) (W 8-man tag, L w/Noble vs Bats/Layfield, L battle royal)
(22-32-1) Chavo Guerrero (2-2, 77) (W 8-man tag, L w/Stevens vs Playas, L w/Stevens vs Hardyz, W battle royal)
(8-15) Jamie Noble (1-2, 64) (W Akio, L w/Nova vs Bats/Layfield, L battle royal)
(6-15-1) Akio (1-2, 65) (L Noble, W Funaki, L battle royal)
(9-23) Spike Dudley (1-2, 64) (L 6-man tag, W 6-man tag, L 6-man tag)
(3-9) Aaron Stevens (1-3, 66) (W Nowinski, L w/Chavo vs Playas, L w/Chavo vs Hardyz, L battle royal)
(1-3) Brian Kendrick (0-3, 62) (L 6-man tag, L Brock, L battle royal)
(6-24) Nunzio (1-3, 72) (L 8-man tag, W Carlito, L Rey, L battle royal)
(4-24) Carlito (0-4, 72) (L 8-man tag, L Nunzio, L 6-man tag, L battle royal)
(1-11) Funaki (0-3, 63) (L 6-man tag, L Akio, L battle royal)

(Overall Won-Loss) Lower Midcard (Aug. W-L, Overness) (Matches)
(1-1) Jay Briscoe (0-1, 56) (L battle royal)
(1-1) Matt Stryker (0-1, 56) (L battle royal)
(1-1) Colt Cabana (0-1, 52) (L battle royal)
(2-5) Johnny Jeter (0-1, 45) (L battle royal)
(5-15-1) Mark Henry (1-1, 58) (W w/Nowinski vs Stevens/Chavo, L battle royal)
(1-6) Zach Gowan (0-1, 57) (L battle royal)

(Overall Won-Loss) Openers (Aug. W-L, Overness) (Matches)
(2-2) Generalin Intikami (0-1, 45) (L battle royal)

(Overall Won-Loss) Injured Reserve (Aug. W-L) (Matches)
(19-29) The Hurricane (0-1) (L Batista)

(Overall Won-Loss) Future Endeavors (Aug. W-L) (Matches)
(4-20) Chris Nowinski (1-3) (L Stevens, W w/Henry vs Stevens/Chavo, L 6-man tag, L battle royal)

Non-Wrestlers (Overness)
Steve Austin (93)
Vince McMahon (92)
Tazz (72)

Managers (Overness) (Clientele)
Paul Heyman (92) (Billy Kidman, Brock Lesnar, and Tajiri)
Theodore Long (66) (Mark Henry)

SmackDown! Title Changes
World Tag Team - Hardy Boyz beat John Cena and The Rock (8/22)
Cruiserweight - Tajiri beat Rey Mysterio (8/22)
WWE World - None (Matt Hardy has been champ since 5/20)
Intercontinental - None (Jeff Hardy has been champ since 7/15)

SmackDown! Feuds
The Rock vs. Matt Hardy Version 2.0 (100 Heat)
Rey Mysterio vs. Tajiri (92 Heat)
Rico vs. Christian (89 Heat)
TBA

YEAR IN REVIEW

CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY


World Heavyweight Title (86 Image)

1. Triple H - Start of game-9/28/03 (28 days)
2. The Rock - 9/28/03-3/14/04 (168 days)
3. Shawn Michaels - 3/14/04-4/19/04 (36 days)
4. Vacant - 4/19/04-4/25/04 (6 days)
5. Kurt Angle - 4/25/04-7/25/04 (91 days)
6. Sean O'Haire - 7/25/04-Present (37 days)

WWE World Title (81 Image)

1. Brock Lesnar - Start of game-3/14/04 (196 days)
2. John Cena - 3/14/04-5/20/04 (67 days)
3. Matt Hardy Version 2.0 - 5/20/04-Present (103 days)

United States Title (81 Image)

1. Big Show - Start of game-12/11/03 (102 days)
2. Eddie Guerrero - 12/11/03-2/29/04 (80 days)
3. Sean O'Haire - 2/29/04-6/7/04 (99 days)
4. Rob Van Dam - 6/7/04-8/22/04 (76 days)
5. Chris Benoit - 8/22/04-Present (9 days)

Intercontinental Title (78 Image)

1. Randy Orton - Start of game-11/14/03 (75 days)
2. Vacant - 11/14/04-12/28/04 (44 days)
3. Matt Hardy Version 1.0 - 12/28/04-3/14/04 (77 days)
4. Hurricane - 3/14/04-4/8/04 (25 days)
5. Dave Batista - 4/8/04-7/15/04 (98 days)
6. Jeff Hardy - 7/15/04-Present (47 days)

World Tag Team Titles (83 Image)

1. Evolution (Batista and Ric Flair) - Start of game-9/1/03 (1 day)
2. Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von) - 9/1/03-4/29/04 (241 days)
3. Metro Connection (Billy Gunn and Chris Kanyon) - 4/29/04-7/8/04 (70 days)
4. People's Chain Gang (John Cena and The Rock) - 7/8/04-8/22/04 (45 days)
5. Hardy Boyz (Jeff and Matt) - 8/22/04-Present (9 days)

WWE Tag Team Titles (80 Image)

1. Basham Brothers (Danny and Doug) - Start of game-9/25/03 (25 days)
2. Backstage Bullies (Hardcore Holly and John Layfield) - 9/25/03-10/2/03 (7 days)
3. Dangerous Alliance (A-Train and Matt Morgan) - 10/2/03-1/22/04 (112 days)
4. World's Greatest Tag Team (Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin) - 1/22/04-4/25/04 (94 days)
5. The Ministry (Big Show and Undertaker) - 4/25/04-5/31/04 (36 days)
6. Canadian Violence (Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho) - 5/31/04-7/26/04 (56 days)
7. Ministry Monsters (Big Show and Kane) - 7/26/04-Present (36 days)

Cruiserweight Title (88 Image)

1. Tajiri - Start of game-9/25/03 (25 days)
2. Billy Kidman - 9/25/03-1/11/04 (108 days)
3. Eddie Guerrero - 1/11/04-3/14/04 (63 days)
4. Billy Kidman (2) - 3/14/04-3/25/04 (11 days)
5. Vacant - 3/25/04-4/25/04 (31 days)
6. Rey Mysterio - 4/25/04-5/16/04 (21 days)
7. Christian - 5/16/04-6/27/04 (42 days)
8. Rey Mysterio (2) - 6/27/04-8/22/04 (56 days)
9. Tajiri (2) - 8/22/04-Present (9 days)

Women's Title (77 Image)

1. Molly Holly - Start of game-9/22/03 (22 days)
2. Trish Stratus - 9/22/03-12/1/03 (70 days)
3. Victoria - 12/1/03-3/8/04 (98 days)
4. Trish Stratus (2) - 3/8/04-6/7/04 (91 days)
5. Mickie James - 6/7/04-Present (85 days)

Longest Title Reigns

1. Dudley Boyz - World Tag Team Titles (241 days)
2. Brock Lesnar - WWE World Title (196 days)
3. The Rock - World Heavyweight Title (168 days)
4. Dangerous Alliance - WWE Tag Team Titles (112 days)
5. Billy Kidman - Cruiserweight Title (108 days)
6. Matt Hardy Version 2.0 - WWE Title (103 days and counting)
7. Big Show - United States Title (102 days)
8. Sean O'Haire - United States Title (99 days)
9. Dave Batista - Intercontinental Title (98 days)
10. Victoria - Women's Title (98 days)

Shortest Title Reigns (NOTE: not counting current champions)

1. Evolution - World Tag Team Titles (1 day)
2. Backstage Bullies - WWE Tag Team Titles (7 days)
3. Billy Kidman - Cruiserweight Title (11 days)
4. Rey Mysterio - Cruiserweight Title (21 days)
5. Molly Holly - Women's Title (22 days)
6. Hurricane - Intercontinental Title (25 days)
7. Basham Brothers - WWE Tag Team Titles (25 days)
8. Tajiri - Cruiserweight Title (25 days)
9. Triple H - World Heavyweight Title (28 days)
10. Shawn Michaels - World Heavyweight Title (36 days)
11. The Ministry - World Tag Team Titles (36 days)

Most Title Reigns

1. Matt Hardy (1 WWE Champion, 1 Intercontinental Champion, 1 World Tag Team Champion)
2. Sean O'Haire (1 World Champion, 1 United States Champion)
3. The Rock (1 World Champion, 1 World Tag Team Champion)
4. John Cena (1 WWE Champion, 1 World Tag Team Champion)
5. Big Show (1 United States Champion, 2 WWE Tag Team Champion)
6. Chris Benoit (1 United States Champion, 1 WWE Tag Team Champion)
7. Dave Batista (1 Intercontinental Champion, 1 World Tag Team Champion)
8. Eddie Guerrero (1 United States Champion, 1 Cruiserweight Champion)
9. Jeff Hardy (1 Intercontinental Champion, 1 World Tag Team Champion)
10. Billy Kidman (2 Cruiserweight Champion)
11. Rey Mysterio (2 Cruiserweight Champion)
12. Tajiri (2 Cruiserweight Champion)
13. Trish Stratus (2 Women's Champion)
14. 27 others with 1 reign

WON-LOSS RECORDS

Complete Won-Loss For Everyone Who Wrestled A Match

Aaron Stevens 3-9
Akio 6-15-1
A-Train 14-24
Big Show 30-28-1
Billy Gunn 13-11
Billy Kidman 22-27-2
BJ Whitmer 2-2
The Blueprint 12-13-1
Brian Kendrick 1-3
Booker T 13-20-2
Brock Lesnar 40-21
Bubba Ray Dudley 29-20
Carlito 4-24
Charlie Haas 20-31
Chavo Guerrero 22-32-1
Chris Benoit 34-25-3
Chris Jericho 28-30-2
Chris Kanyon 13-15
Chris Nowinski 4-20
Christian 29-29
Christian York 2-1
Chuck Palumbo 19-22
Colt Cabana 1-1
Damien 18-4
Danny Basham 3-18
Dave Batista 33-24
Doug Basham 3-18
D-Von Dudley 31-18
Edge 24-29
Eddie Guerrero 27-31-1
Fred Williams 2-3
Funaki 1-11
Gail Kim 6-11-1
Generalin Intikami 2-2
Goldberg 8-7
Hardcore Holly 9-12
The Hurricane 19-29
Ivory 1-3
Jacqueline 1-2
Jamie Noble 8-15
Jay Briscoe 1-1
Jazz 12-10
Jeff Hardy 10-5
John Cena 37-25
John Layfield 21-19
Johnny Jeter 2-5
Johnny Stamboli 15-20
Kane 24-25-1
Kurt Angle 33-28
Lance Cade 3-11
Lance Storm 14-25
Lita 6-14
Luther Reigns 0-11
Mark Henry 5-15-1
Mark Jindrak 17-9
Matt Hardy 37-20
Matt Stryker 1-1
Maven 2-6
Mickie James 14-3
Miss Jackie 1-0
Molly Holly 6-12
Nidia 0-1
Nova 13-17
Nunzio 6-24
Orlando Jordan 0-1
Paul London 8-22-1
Randy Orton 11-10
Rene Dupree 11-31
Rey Mysterio 32-26
Rhyno 29-21-2
Ric Flair 0-1
Rico 21-26
Rikishi 3-20
Rob Conway 5-25
Rob Van Dam 31-26-1
The Rock 38-21
Rodney Mack 0-5
Rosey 3-7
Sakoda 3-1
Scott Steiner 3-7
Scotty 2 Hotty 0-12
Sean O'Haire 40-20-1
Shaniqua 1-4
Shannon Moore 3-15
Shawn Michaels 25-15
Shawn Stasiak 2-5
Shelton Benjamin 28-28
Spike Dudley 9-23
Stevie Richards 0-1
Sylvan Grenier 9-25
Tajiri 23-27-1
Tom Howard 1-3
Tommy Dreamer 16-28
Trent Acid 2-2
Triple H 13-10
Trish Stratus 14-12-1
Ultimo Dragon 6-20-1
Undertaker 26-31-1
Val Venis 9-29
Victoria 12-8
William Regal 18-27
Zach Gowan 1-6

Most Wins

1. Sean O'Haire (40)
2. Brock Lesnar (40)
3. The Rock (38)
4. Matt Hardy (37)
5. John Cena (37)
6. Chris Benoit (34)
7. Dave Batista (33)
8. Kurt Angle (33)
9. Rey Mysterio (32)
10. Rob Van Dam (31)
11. D-Von Dudley (31)

Most Losses

1. Chavo Guerrero (32)
2. Charlie Haas (31)
3. Rene Dupree (31)
4. Eddie Guerrero (31)
5. Chris Jericho (30)
6. Val Venis (29)
7. The Hurricane (29)
8. Edge (29)
9. Christian (29)
10. Kurt Angle (28)
11. Tommy Dreamer (28)
12. Shelton Benjamin (28)
13. Big Show (28)

Hope TEW '10 is worth the $35. I enjoyed 2008 but it crashed a lot on me for some reason, so I stopped playing it.

Also, if anyone knows where I can find a real world mod for TEW '10 please point me to it. I don't feel like searching through 10+ pages here.

EWB or the GDS forums

http://www.ewbattleground.com/forum/
http://www.greydogsoftware.com/forum/

Cool year in review loopydate

SEPTEMBER 3, 2004 - SMACKDOWN!

It's the season premiere of SmackDown! Just 23 days away from Unforgiven, and tonight's main event pits the top four contenders for Matt Hardy Version 2.0's WWE Title against each other in a fatal fourway to determine a challenger. Plus, Jeff Hardy defends the Intercontinental Title against the man who won a 20-man battle royal last week, Chavo Guerrero.

We kick things off with an ECW-style threeway dance pitting ECW alumni Spike Dudley, Nova, and Christian York against each other for a future shot at Tajiri's Cruiserweight Title. Of course it's a damn dud show, so we're getting the bare-bones write up. Spike is eliminated first, as he takes a Hart Attack from both opponents, then a kick to the face from Nova. Nova then winds up hitting the Spin Doctor on York to win the match and get the title shot.

Vito Thomaselli makes his WWE debut as Nunzio's tag partner in a match against the Dudley Boyz. Good match that the crowd gets into, but the game hates for some reason. Bubba nails Nunzio with a spear to set up the 3-D for the win.

Last week, Aaron Stevens and Chris Kanyon tied for the most eliminations in the IC Title contender battle royal. Tonight, they go one-on-one. Stevens looks like he's got the match under control until Billy Gunn makes his return and plants him with the Fame-Ass-Er! Kanyon picks up the cheap win, then the Metro Connection pummel him afterwards.

Tag team action is next as Dave Batista and John Layfield take on cruiserweight stars Brian Kendrick and Jamie Noble. Eventually, Layfield hits Kendrick with the Clothesline From Hell for the win.

Christian is backstage, and he cuts a promo on Rico, preparing for tonight's tag match. Eventually, this feud has to end, right?

It leads into a tag match with Christian teaming with the Cruiserweight Champion Tajiri against Rico and Rey Mysterio. The two sets of rivalries mesh into a great match. Eventually, Rey gets a measure of revenge on Tajiri for taking the title, pinning him with the West Coast Pop.

Paul London and Billy Kidman have been on the cusp of greatness for months, and the matches they've had against each other have been tremendous. Today is no exception. In fact, they're so evenly-matched that the fifteen-minute time limit expires before a winner can be declared.

Matt Hardy Version 2.0 is backstage with the WWE World Title. He cuts a promo about how it doesn't matter who walks out of the fatal fourway the number-one contender. He's been champion for over 100 days, and he's not about to drop the belt in 23 at Unforgiven. So whether it's Brock Lesnar, Eddie Guerrero, John Cena, or The Rock, they're just going to become another footnote in the Chronicles of Mattitude. Just another Matt Fact among thousands of others.

Matt's brother Jeff is out next to defend the Intercontinental Title against Chavo Guerrero, who outlasted 19 other opponents in a battle royal last week to earn this shot. They have a great match that Jeff winds up winning with the Whisper In The Wind.

And now for our main event! Lots of back-and-forth between all four men, and the crowd is way into it. Eventually, The Rock hits Lesnar with the Rock Bottom to pick up the win.

After the match, Rock cuts a brief promo to officially hype the title match at Unforgiven. It ends with a staredown as we fade to black.

I tried installing a database (and as far as I know that encompasses placing the files in their correct folders in the Program Files) but it isn't showing up in game, even in Administrator mode. Dunno, couldn't find anything on the GDS forums, anyone else experienced this issue?

I suppose the default database will have to suffice.

Never mind, figured it out with my immense knowledge.

SEPTEMBER 6, 2004 - MONDAY NIGHT RAW

Tonight, with just three weeks until Unforgiven, the final four participants in the tournament to determine the #1 contender to Sean O'Haire's World Title will be decided with tonight's quarterfinal action. Plus, in a non-title champion-versus-champion match will pit O'Haire against United States Champion Sean O'Haire! Also, in a preview of next week's WWE Tag Team Title match, Charlie Haas will go one-on-one with Big Show!

Yay another fucking dead show! Damien beats Tommy Dreamer in the opener. Dreamer manages to land a piledriver at one point, but eventually Damien puts him away with a chokeslam.

The tournament continues next with co-holder of the WWE Tag Team Titles Kane taking on Randy Orton. As soon as Kane pops his pyro, Orton spears him and levels him with an RKO for the surprise win to advance to next week's semifinals! After the match, Kane gets a measure of revenge with a chokeslam.

Backstage after the break, Big Show is trying to restore Kane's confidence when they're confronted by the #1 contenders to their titles, A-Train and Charlie Haas. The faces joke that it will take them half as many moves to put them away next week when they win the titles!

The tournament continues as United States Champion and the 2004 King of the Ring Chris Benoit takes on Shelton Benjamin. Solid match that eventually ends with Benjamin tapping out to the Crippler Crossface. Afterwards, Orton returns to the ring and puts Benjamin down with an RKO. Why?

Benjamin grabs a mic and cuts a brief promo on Orton, basically saying that if Orton wants to start something, he'd better be watching over his shoulder next week, because he'd be glad to knock him out of the tournament the way Orton just did to him.

Big Show is looking to take out some frustrations on Charlie Haas after that backstage confrontation from earlier. And he manages to, putting the Seton Hall alum away with the Final Cut.

Chris Jericho grabs a microphone and cuts a promo. He knows he's about to breeze through A-Train, who's managed to make it to the quarters thanks to some accidental "help" from the champ. And he knows that there's a chance that eventually his path is going to cross with Rhyno. He talks about how Rhyno has all the potential in the world. Of course, people have been saying that for five years now, and he's still getting by on potential. Jericho, on the other hand, is a bona fide main-eventer on the biggest show in wrestling. And in 20 days, he'll be where he should have been all along, holding the World Heavyweight Championship!

A-Train comes out for their match, and it's a decent one that gets a good pop. Eventually, Rhyno comes to the ring and blasts Jericho with a chair, allowing Train to hit the Derailer for the win! A-Train is in the final four!

We get another hype video for Undertaker. Swear to God, I'm going to turn his career around or die trying. ...well, maybe not.

One more spot in the final four is at stake now as Rhyno and Undertaker try to join Orton, Benoit, and Train in the semis. A couple of good near falls, but eventually Rhyno just has too much damn momentum heading into the PPV, and he picks up the win with the Gore. After the match, Taker flips his shit and clotheslines the referee.

And now for our champion-versus-champion main event! Rob Van Dam and Sean O'Haire put on a very solid match that is unfortunately spoiled by Chris Benoit taking out RVD after Van dam had hit the Five Star Frogsplash. After the match, RVD fights off both heels and stands tall as RAW goes off the air.

Next week it's Rhyno vs. Chris Benoit and A-Train vs. Randy Orton for a shot at Sean O'Haire's World Title at Unforgiven! Plus, the Ministry Monsters Big Show and Kane defend the WWE Tag Team Titles against A-Train and Charlie Haas, plus we expect some matches to be announced for Unforgiven. You don't want to miss RAW next week on SpikeTV!

SEPTEMBER 10, 2004 - SMACKDOWN!

SmackDown! kicks off with Bubba Ray Dudley taking on Carlito. Decent match that gets a good reaction, and the string of dud shows is mercifully over. Carlito eventually gets the win with an inverted figure four.

Bubba's half-brother D-Von has a singles match next against John Layfield, who has looked impressive in tag matches lately. He proves that he's still got it in singles as he puts D-Von away with the Clothesline From Hell.

Last week, Billy Gunn made a surprising return, helping his Metro Connection partner Chris Kanyon beat Aaron Stevens. Tonight, the Metros take on Stevens and his new partner Chavo Guerrero. Solid match all around that the Metros win when Gunn hits Stevens with the Fameasser.

The Rock is backstage, cutting a promo on his Unforgiven WWE Title match against Matt Hardy Version 2.0. It's the only match announced for the PPV, and honestly that's all you need. People will pay $30, $50, hell $150 to watch The Rock take back his title from Matt Hardy's candy ass. Matt's had a nice little run with the belt. 113 days isn't too shabby. But he'd better enjoy these last two weeks with it, because the People's Champion is going to once again be WWE Champion after Unforgiven, if you smell what The Rock is cookin'!

For the second week in a row, we get an exciting cruiserweight match featuring ECW alumni. Last week, Nova beat Spike Dudley and Christian York in a three-way dance. Tonight, he's got Nunzio in a hardcore match! For the most part, it's a clean match. At one point, Nunzio uses a Singapore cane, but eventually Nova puts him away with the Spin Doctor to continue his momentum into his Cruiserweight Title match next week against Tajiri.

For the second week in a row, Paul London puts on a tremendous match. Last week, it was a time-limit draw against Billy Kidman. Tonight, he takes on former Intercontinental Champion "Nature Boy" Dave Batista. London prepares to hit a clothesline on Batista, but he pulls the referee in the way, resulting in a DQ win for London. After the match, Bats blasts the referee with a big right hand. Officials hit the ring to pull him away before he can do any further damage.

The Rico-Christian feud that's been raging for months finally comes to a head tonight in a ladder match. It's a pretty brutal match, eventually ending with Christian taking a nasty bump off the ladder and to the floor. He looks hurt, but Rico is celebrating with the fans, who are going bonkers.

And now a huge six-man tag match pitting Eddie Guerrero, John Cena, and The Rock against Billy Kidman and the Hardy Boyz. It's an exciting match that lets all participants get in some high spots. Eventually, Eddie hits his frogsplash on Kidman to pick up the win.

Christian hobbles out onto the ramp to issue a challenge to Eddie. We're right there, Eddie. We're so close to being the guys headlining the pay-per-views. We're so close to being the faces of this company. The Rock and Triple H made each other legends five years ago by pushing each other to their limits. And now it's our turn. At Unforgiven, let's launch ourselves into that upper echelon. We're gonna be legends. Of course, I'm going to be the one that's main-eventing WrestleMania, but that's just how I roll!

Rey Mysterio and Tajiri have been beating the crap out of each other all summer long, and WWE officials have finally decided to end it once and for all inside a steel cage. Rey gets the advantage and appears to be going out the door of the cage until Brock Lesnar (?!?) shows up at ringside and slams the door in Rey's face. Tajiri takes the advantage to climb out the door. He shakes hands with his Dangerous Alliance mate Lesnar.

Lesnar grabs a microphone and challenges Rey for Unforgiven. Rey acceps. What is Brock's motivation for assaulting Mysterio?

Billy Kidman missed a public appearance over the weekend, and that was the last straw. He's now unemployed. And fuck his future endeavors.

Btw, Christian hurt his back, but it's only going to sideline him a couple of weeks. The Eddie/Christian match at Unforgiven has been pushed back, probably to No Mercy.

SEPTEMBER 13, 2004 - MONDAY NIGHT RAW

With less than two weeks to go until Unforgiven, four men remain in the running for a shot at Sean O'Haire's World Title. Tonight, the semifinals of the #1 contender tournament take place, but first...

Later tonight, A-Train has an unlikely semifinal berth in the tournament, but tonight he and Charlie Haas cash in their WWE Tag Team Title shot against Big Show and Kane, the Ministry Monsters. Train and Haas put up a good fight, but eventually the size and strength of the champions proves too much and they retain after hitting Haas with a double chokeslam.

Yet another Undertaker hype video plays.

Up next is a really solid tag match pitting Fred 'n' Tom against NBM members Chuck Palumbo and Johnny Stamboli. The rookies look good against the former FBI mates, but eventually Fred Williams takes the Kiss of Death to give Palumbo and Stamboli the win.

World Champion Sean O'Haire cuts a brief promo backstage about this tournament that's ongoing and how ridiculous the final four are. I mean, really? A-Train?!? But, then again, he's not telling us anything we didn't already know.

Val Venis and the ECW Originals Lance Storm and Tommy Dreamer take on La Resistance in a six-man tag match. Solid but not great match that ends when Grenier hits Dreamer with a piledriver for the win.

Damien comes to the ring with his former Ministry leader Undertaker - who is now essentially just another stablemate. They issue an open challenge for Unforgiven to any two superstars for a tag match. Any two. And, in true Ministry fashion, they're going to make them rest in peace.

Former U.S. Champion Rob Van Dam comes to the ring for his match with Damien. Damien controls the tempo of the match until RVD finally starts to turn things around. However, eventually, RVD's nemesis Chris Benoit hits the ring and locks him in the Crippler Crossface, allowing Damien to pick up the cheap win. After the match, Benoit blasts RVD with the title several times before a bunch of referees drag him away.

Our first finalist in the World Title contender tournament will be determined next as the vicious viper Randy Orton takes on the improbable A-Train. Unfortunately, Orton's sins from last week catch up to him as Shelton Benjamin seeks revenge from Orton's attack, blasting him with a chair, allowing Train to hit the Derailer to advance to the finals!

Orton grabs a mic and says that Shelton made good on his promise from last week, but now it's Randy's time to make a promise. He promises that in 13 days, he is going to cripple Shelton Benjamin once and for all.

And now for our main event, as Rhyno and Chris Benoit go toe-to-toe to advance to take on Train in the tournament finals next week. Benoit has dominated tournaments this year, but Rhyno seems to have his number until Chris Jericho takes advantage of a distracted referee by clamping on the Walls of Jericho allowing his Canadian Violence partner Benoit to pick up the win and advance.

Rhyno grabs the mic and challenges Jericho for Unforgiven. Jericho talked about how Rhyno is living off of potential. Well, the funny thing about potential is that eventually potential is either reached or somebody becomes a nobody. Well, the manbeast refuses to become a nobody. And if Jericho insists on being the one at whose expense his potential is reached, he's just one Gore Gore Gooooooooooooore away.

SEPTEMBER 17, 2004 - SMACKDOWN!

Nine days from Unforgiven, and the card continues to take shape. Last week, a match was set up between Eddie Guerrero and Christian... until Christian injured himself in his ladder match with Rico. Eddie is expected to issue a challenge to a replacement opponent tonight! Plus, two former WWE Champions go head to head in a WrestleMania XX rematch as John Cena takes on Brock Lesnar in our main event!

But first, it's a six-man tag match pitting Cruiserweight division stars Brian Kendrick, Funaki, and Jamie Noble against Dave Batista, John Layfield, and Nunzio. Nunzio gets kicked around by all three opponents to start until he manages to tag in the Nature Boy, who turns things back in his team's favor. Kendrick is next to take the brunt of all three until he tags in Noble, who winds up putting Nunzio away with a Tigerdriver for the surprise win.

Chavo Guerrero put himself on the map two weeks when he took Intercontinental Champion Jeff Hardy to the limit before ultimately coming up short. Tonight, he hopes to continue his forward momentum against the cocky Carlito. Another good match that ends with Chavo hitting his Brainbuster for the win.

It's another six-man tag match next as the three members of the New Generation take on the Dudley Boyz and Aaron Stevens, who is still trying to find a new partner after recent injuries to The Hurricane and The Blueprint. Solid match that ends with Christian York getting Stevens to tap out to the Irish Cloverleaf.

Paul London and Rico make their way to the ring. They grab microphones and bring up Undertaker and Damien's open challenge from RAW. They say that they may not have experience as a team, but the theme of SmackDown! lately has seemed to be young Superstars getting noticed. And at Unforgiven, they're going to make a name for themselves by beating the rookie monster and possibly the greatest Superstar in WWE history!

They face their first test next against former World Tag Team Champions the Metro Connection. Decent match that shows that London and Rico can work together, as London winds up pinning Kanyon following London Calling.

Rey Mysterio will be facing Brock Lesnar in nine days, and tonight he has a tune-up match against the young high-flier Akio. Rey looks like he's about to put Akio away when Lesnar hits the ring and drops him across the top rope throat-first. The referee misses it, but he doesn't miss Akio hitting Hang Time for the upset victory! After the match, Lesnar enters the ring and blasts him with an F5 to leave him laying.

Eddie Guerrero comes to the ring for a promo. He talks about how he was supposed to be facing Christian at Unforgiven in a match that was going to put them both on the match, elevate them both from the upper midcard into the main event. But then Christian had to go and hurt himself last week, and now he's left without an opponent. But the goal remains the same. So he's issuing a new challenge. He couldn't help but notice that Intercontinental Champion Jeff Hardy was without an opponent for the PPV, too. So if he can't make a name at Christian's expense... he'll do it at Hardy's!

The Japanese Buzzsaw Tajiri, the WWE Cruiserweight Champion, heads to the ring next for a title defense against Nova. Nova has been tearing through former ECW superstars over the last two weeks as a build-up to this match, and tonight will be fought under Hardcore rules! They stay away from using weapons, with the exception of Nova dropping Tajiri face-first on the announce table, but back in the ring, Tajiri manages to blast him with the Kick of Death to retain the gold. Tremendous match from two great stars.

As we now know, Eddie Guerrero has challenged Jeff Hardy to an Intercontinental Title match at Unforgiven. Jeff's brother Matt will be defending the WWE Title against The Rock as well. Tonight, it's a huge tag-team showdown! In the closing moments, Rock tries to suplex Matt, but Matt catches him with a low blow behind the ref's back and rolls him into a small package for the win! The Rock has been screwed! After the bell, the two teams brawl up the ramp and out of view.

And now for our main event, a rematch of the WWE Title match at WrestleMania XX, it's John Cena against Brock Lesnar! The match doesn't quite live up to their contest from six months ago, but it's still good. Eventually, though, in a moment of confusion, Tajiri hits the ring and blasts Cena with the Kick of Death! Lesnar picks up the win, then the Dangerous Alliance goes to work on Cena until Rey Mysterio hits the ring to drive them off.

Cena grabs a microphone and issues a challenge to Tajiri for Unforgiven as payback for screwing him tonight. The Buzzsaw accepts! What a match that's going to be! We're out of time! Vintage something!

EWR Geek Update
 

I cheat shamelessly. None of my competitors even have a real budget and I gave my company all the wrestlers I wanted (minus Foley, Rock, Austin, Undertaker, Eddie Guerrero and a few others)

My tag team roster:
"WGTT" Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas
"MCMG" Alex Shelly and Chris Sabin
Steiners
Headhunters
Dudleyz
Briscoe Bros
Hardyz
Edge and Christian
Roderick Strong and Chris Sydal
"Regal Appreciation Society" Shannon Moore and The Miz
"The Whole Show" Rob Van Dam and Jerry Lynn
"The New Eliminators" Perry Saturn and Christopher Daniels
"Kai En Tai" Funaki and Taka
Spike Dudley and Sandman

Injured List:
CM Punk and Paul London

Champions:
ROH World: Rey Mysterio (def Samoa Joe in a ladder match, Joe had been undefeated for a year)
ROH Tag: "Regal Appreciation Society" (def Hardyz the three time tag champs in a triangle match with Edge and Christian)
ROH Blood: Adam Pearce (def Taz in a Falls Count Anywhere/FTW match to become 3 time champ)
http://www.nwalegends.com/images/adampearce180x220.jpg
this guy.

Current Major Fueds:
Shawn Michaels VS. Chris Jericho
*Heel Jericho proposed an alliance and was turned down by Michaels.

Kurt Angle VS. Bryan Danielson
*Started out as a competitive rivalry until Kurt turned heel and made it personal.

Hardyz VS. R.A.S.
* Miz and his lackey attacked the Hardyz after a ladder match against Edge and Christian and later stole their title belts.

Current Minor Feuds:
Raven VS. Sandman
*Sandman declared war on Raven after Raven began forming a new Flock

WGTT VS. Dudleyz
*The ultimate winner of a series of matches will go on to face the tag champions at the next PPV "Ring of Fire"

Rey Mysterio VS. Samoa Joe
*Face Rey started out as the underdog losing to Tweener Samoa Joe in several matches and always ending with a handshake. After consecutive losses the GM Dawn Marie booked Rey in last chance match with Samoa Joe (ladder match). Rey emerged the new ROH World Champ. The following show Rey ran out to help Rob Van Dam from a beat-down from Brock Lesnar, Rey swerved and attacked RVD setting up a tag team match at the next show between Samoa Joe and RVD VS. Rey Mysterio and Brock Lesnar.

Brock Lesnar VS. Rob Van Dam
*RVD was attacked by Lesnar during a match with Kurt Angle, Brock is a member of his stable the comically named "Angle's Angels" along with the WGTT and Lance Storm. Lesnar and RVD have been going back and forth between eachother for a few months now with the entire feud culminating at the next PPV in a Last Man Standing Match.

Giant Paul Wight VS. Spike Dudley
*Spike cost Giant a chance at the ROH World title and has been unsuccessfully feuding with him ever since. Classic retarded underdog VS. Giant.

Wrestlers I use to put over other wrestlers: Goldberg, Ken Anderson, Abyss and Taz (since he's semi-retired).

Future Major Angles:
1.Dawn Marie will handpick 5 wrestlers to form "The Agency" a heel rip-off of the Corporation to capture through illicit all major titles. Rey Mysterio, Edge, Christian, AJ Styles and CM Punk will comprise the stable with the eventual removal of AJ Styles by the heel turn of Adam Pearce and subsequent face turn of AJ Styles)

2. Light-weight Title will be introduced next year (22 wrestlers in the division from WCW, ECW and elsewhere)

3. Giant Paul Wight annhilates the ROH roster under the orders of Raven who then captures the World Title and uses Giant to keep his title for 3-months. Giant then turns face after finally snapping out of Raven's influence and goes on a 6 month title reign which is ended by super-heel Edge.

4. Edge and Christian break up the team and vacate the titles leading to a tag team title tournament and a feud between the brothers.

5. Goldberg is crippled after losing too many scaffold matches. Scaffold matches are banned.

SEPTEMBER 20, 2004 - MONDAY NIGHT RAW

Tonight's show has that "big night" feel around it, and with just six days to go until Unforgiven, we can expect the rest of the card to come together.

We open up with a triple-threat match as Lance Cade takes on La Resistance's Rob Conway and William Regal. Short and sweet match that sees everyone get in their spots. Cade takes Conway out of the match with a huracanrana only to walk into the Power of the Punch for a Regal victory.

Up next, five of the top tag teams on RAW enter into a ten-man battle royal. The winner of the match earns a WWE Tag Team Title match against the Ministry Monsters next week on RAW. Shortly after the match starts, Chuck Palumbo eliminated Fred Williams. Rene Dupree takes out Lance Storm next, followed by Sylvan Grenier taking out Shawn Stasiak. Dupree is next to go, courtesy of Palumbo. The remaining six men go at it for quite a long time until Tom Howard gets dumped out by Palumbo, meaning Fred 'n' Tom are the first duo completely eliminated from the match. Grenier eliminates Johnny Stamboli next, only to get taken out by Tommy Dreamer, and that's it for La Resistance. Now it's Dreamer against two members of the Natural Born Ministry. He manages to overcome the odds, taking out both Mark Jindrak and Palumbo to win the battle royal and earn the ECW Originals a title shot next week!

Storm returns to the ring to celebrate the victory, only for Big Show and Kane to hit the ring. They lay the challengers out and walk off.

I accidentally double-clicked past the next match, but Damien and Undertaker beat the World's Greatest Tag Team after Randy Orton hit the ring to lay out Shelton Benjamin.

Backstage, a limo pulls into the garage. The door opens and out steps WWE Chairman Vince McMahon! JR and Dave Prazak flip out. What is Vince doing on RAW?

Two of the most exciting superstars in the world are up next as Rob Van Dam takes on Chris Jericho! These two put on a solid match that is unfortunately marred by United States Champion Chris Benoit assaulting RVD and clamping on the Crippler Crossface behind the ref's back. Jericho picks up the cheap win, then the former tag champs go to work on RVD until Rhyno hits the ring and drives them off.

Over the last four weeks, 25 RAW superstars have attempted to earn a World Title match at Unforgiven, only to fall by the wayside. The two remaining contenders now face off in the finals of the month-long tournament. It's Benoit versus the tournament's "Cinderella" story, A-Train! As Benoit seems prepared to put Train away, Rob Van Dam hits the ring with a chair looking for revenge. He catches Benoit by surprise with a Van Daminator while the ref's back is turned, allowing Train to hit the Train Wreck for the upset win!

Eric Bischoff appears on the Titantron and announces that, unlikely though it seems, the World Title match at Unforgiven will pit the champion Sean O'Haire against the tournament winner... A-Train!

Furthermore, as a result of what has happened tonight, Chris Benoit will defend the United States Championship against Rob Van Dam at Unforgiven!

And now for our main event, World Champion Sean O'Haire takes on Rhyno in a non-title match! These two have a great chemistry in the ring, and they once again put on a tremendous match. Chris Jericho has apparently not forgotten Rhyno's involvement earlier in his match with RVD, and he makes his presence felt, blasting Rhyno with a chairshot, allowing O'Haire to hit the Prophecy and pick up the win. After the match, Jericho continues to pummel Rhyno with the chair. These two may very well steal the show at Unforgiven... if Rhyno can even make it!

After the match, "No Chance In Hell" hits the speakers and Vince McMahon does the Vince Walk down the ramp and into the ring, where a microphone is waiting. "I've been doing a lot of thinking over the last several months, and done a lot of soul searching. I've spoken at length with my legal advisors, my financial advisors, and my family. It's been three years since I completely vanquished the only competition I've ever truly faced, and criticisms over the product becoming stale since then has hit me hard. Quite frankly, they're probably right. I've done everything I've ever wanted as head of this company, and now... what do I have to shoot for? What possible goals could I have left? Truth be told, I have none. There is literally nothing left for me to do with myself and as the chairman of World Wrestling Entertainment that I haven't already done. And the last thing I'd want to do is repeat myself and give the critics more ammunition. And so, I am announcing tonight that next week will be my last RAW as the head of World Wrestling Entertainment. I am officially stepping down and handing off the reins to the only man who I truly trust to lead this company wherever the future will lead it. Trust me, you don't want to miss RAW next week." He concludes with a shameless plug for Unforgiven and RAW fades to black.

<font color=goldenrod>A-Train in a World Title match?!?!</font> :eek:

SEPTEMBER 24, 2004 - SMACKDOWN!

With unforgiven just two days away, SmackDown! is headlined by an eight-man tag main event featuring several of the PPV competitors. Plus, we'll hear from several top SD stars about their upcoming grudge matches, and we can expect more fallout from Vince McMahon's shocking announcement on RAW that he is retiring at the end of this month!

We kick things off with what basically amounts to a squash match with John Layfield crushing Funaki. Funaki only manages a little bit of offense before being put away by the Clothesline From Hell.

Layfield's frequent tag partner "Nature Boy" Dave Batista is out next for a match with Aaron Stevens. Stevens puts up more of a fight than did Funaki, but he still falls victim to the Batista Bomb. After the match, Bats continues the punishment with a series of brutal punches before walking off.

Backstage, Shane McMahon pulls his father aside. Shane asks Vince where his head's at. Vince reiterates what he said on RAW, that in order for the company to remain the dominant brand in the industry, it needs a fresh face at the top. WWE has been run by two generations of Vince McMahons, and now it's time for someone else to take the helm. Besides, Shane doesn't need to worry, the company is going to be in good hands. He smiles and pats his son's shoulder before walking off.

Up next is a tremendous cruiserweight match between Brian Kendrick and Christian York. Lots of back-and-forth action and a handful of good nearfalls eventually ends with Kendrick landing The Big Spank for the win.

The cruiserweight exhibition continues with a six-man tag match pitting Chavo Guerrero, Jamie Noble, and Nova against Akio, Carlito, and Nunzio. It's another very exciting match that sees quick tags and quicker moves. Eventually, Nova takes out Akio with the Spin Doctor for the win.

John Cena cuts a promo backstage. He talks about the main event tonight where he'll be joining forces with The Rock, Eddie Guerrero, and Rey Mysterio to take on Brock Lesnar, the Hardy Boyz, and his Unforgiven opponent Tajiri. Tajiri has - for some reason - decided to be a thorn in Cena's side lately, and that's fine. He wants to make his name by taking me out? Good for him. Good for him for getting the big PPV payday. But the good times are going to end at Unforgiven. Word life!

Two of the most dominant tag teams in WWE over the last year have been the Dudley Boyz and the Metro Connection. Tonight, they both try to work their way back to the title picture by picking up a win against the other. Gunn is setting up D-Von for a double team move, but D-Von ducks and Kanyon winds up clotheslining Gunn. D-Von winds up hitting his lifting reverse DDT for the win. After the match, the Metros get in each others' faces before walking off separately.

Backstage, Vince McMahon is on his cell phone talking to someone. We don't really know who it is. He mentions that after Unforgiven Sunday night, RAW is going to be the beginning of a brand new era in World Wrestling Entertainment, and you're just the man for the job. "See you Monday, son."

This Sunday night, Paul London and Rico face a huge tag-team challenge against Undertaker and Damien. They have their last tune up against BJ Whitmer and Trent Acid from the New Generation. In a night of exciting cruiserweight matches, this one was easily the best as the new stars put up a tremendous fight against the fast-rising London and Rico. London picks up the win and keeps momentum by hitting London Calling on Whitmer.

The Rock cuts a brief promo on his Unforgiven match with the WWE Champion Matt Hardy Version 2.0. It's pretty much your basic Rock promo, but a basic Rock promo's still pretty damn good.

In the eight-man main event, we got quick payoffs of each man's PPV match except for Cena/Jeff. Eddie and Jeff do most of the bumping in the match, and it winds up coming down to Mysterio and Lesnar. Lesnar and Tajiri hit a double suplex, which Lesnar follows up with an exploder. Rey fights back and puts Lesnar in the corner, but while he's playing to the crowd, Lesnar removes a turnbuckle cover and winds up sending Rey face-first into it allowing Brock to roll him up for the cheap win.

SEPTEMBER 26, 2004 - UNFORGIVEN

For the first time in recent memory, possibly in WWE history, the curtain of a WWE pay-per-view is going to be jerked... by a World Title Match! A-Train has earned tonight's shot by winning a 27-man tournament over the last several weeks on RAW. Sean O'Haire clearly doesn't take his challenger seriously. Could this come back to bite him?

World Title Match - A-Train vs. Sean O'Haire (c)

Sean O'Haire with a spinning neckbreaker on A-Train. Full nelson slam on A-Train. Cover for a two count. Sean O'Haire misses a clothesline. A-Train strikes Sean O'Haire. A-Train strikes Sean O'Haire. Hooks the leg for a two count. Flapjack from A-Train on O'Haire. Hooks the leg for a close fall. Running clothesline from A-Train, sloppily done. O'Haire counters a backdrop attempt with a kick to the face. Nice piledriver on A-Train. Hooks the leg for a two count. Sean O'Haire scores with a standing spinebuster. Pin : 1 - 2 - 2.9999999. Rude Awakening on A-Train by O'Haire. Stiff chop lights up A-Train. A-Train pushes out of a Sean O'Haire hold. A-Train hits a right hand on Sean O'Haire. A-Train turns O'Haire inside-out with a clothesline. Big Show comes running down the aisle with a chair! O'Haire and A-Train continue fighting, unaware of the intrusion. Big Show slides in and prepares to swing the chair...but A-Train moves! Show accidentally blasts O'Haire with a chair to the head! A-Train throws Show out of the ring! A-Train moves in for the kill. Here it comes - Train Wreck. 1....2...3, it's finished. Sean O'Haire slides to the outside and grabs a chair, then climbs back into the ring. Show turns around...and gets planted with a huge chair shot to the head! He is left down and out on the canvas. **1\2 rating. Perfectly Acceptable Wrestling.

Overall Rating: 72%
Crowd Reaction: 86%
Match Quality: 67%

A couple of weeks ago, Natural Born Ministry members Undertaker and Damien issued an open challenge to any tag team in World Wrestling Entertainment. It was unexpectedly answered by SmackDown! Superstars Paul London and Rico.

Paul London and Rico vs. Damien and Undertaker

Damien takes a kick to the chest, and staggers back. Rico hits a spinning back kick. Cover for a two count. Damien ducks a wild right hand. Damien bodyslams Rico. Damien hits a stump piledriver on Rico. Tag between Damien and Undertaker. Rico takes a right hand to the temple from Undertaker. Rico counters a backdrop attempt with a kick to the face. Rico tags out to Paul London. Rico \ London whip Undertaker into the corner. Rico whips Paul London in for a hard clothesline to follow-up. London uses a basement dropkick to the knee. There's a two count on the pin. Lightning kick by London on Undertaker. London tags out to Rico. Flying knee to the face from Rico. Is it Mutoh Appreciation Night? Cover, but there's a last second kick-out. Undertaker pushes out of a Rico hold. Undertaker tags out to Damien. Back elbow connects, Rico staggers backward. Damien moves in for the kill. Chokeslam!!! That shook the ring. 1....2....3!! Almost a *** rating, but there were some bits that dragged, so **3\4 instead.

Overall Rating: 67%
Crowd Reaction: 76%
Match Quality: 73%

Two of the fastest-rising stars in World Wrestling Entertainment are RAW's Randy Orton and Shelton Benjamin. Both men are looking to make a name for themselves as bona fide main eventers, and tonight they look to do so at the other's expense.

Shelton Benjamin vs. Randy Orton

Stiff chop lights up Shelton. Randy Orton fires off some right and left hands. Fallaway slam by Randy Orton. Flying shoulder tackle by Orton sends Shelton to the mat. Shelton Benjamin reverses a hip toss. Big clothesline on Orton. Spinebuster by Shelton Benjamin. Cover for a two count. Randy Orton avoids a Shelton Benjamin avalanche. Randy Orton hits a bulldog off the ropes. Cover for a two count. Double Arm DDT by Orton, Shelton got destroyed. Pinfall attempt gets a 2.9999. Shelton reverses a Randy Orton hammerlock. Shelton Benjamin fires off some right and left hands. Orton blocks a kick from Shelton Benjamin. Big clothesline on Shelton. Shelton Benjamin is in trouble. RKO!!! That shook the ring. 1....2....3!! It gets a ***1\2 rating.

Overall Rating: 76%
Crowd Reaction: 86%
Match Quality: 85%

Since losing his United States Title to the 2004 King of the Ring Chris Benoit, Rob Van Dam has been out for revenge. He's got his shot tonight.

United States Title Match - Rob Van Dam vs. Chris Benoit (c)

Chris Benoit snap suplexes RVD...with authority! ('With authority', trademark G.Monsoon 1986.) Doctor Bomb, RVD is hurt. Hooks the leg for a two count. RVD counters a backdrop attempt with a kick to the face. RVD hits a massive spinning kick to the jaw. Hard back suplex on Benoit. Anyone remember when that was Shawn Michaels's finisher? There's a two count on the pin. Back heel kick off the second rope, Benoit goes flying. Pin : 1 - 2 - 2.9999999. RVD uses a basement dropkick to the knee. Chris Benoit takes the advantage after a i-block-your-punch-you-don't-block-mine routine. RVD walks into a killer lariat. There's a two count on the pin. Devastating Tiger Driver 91 very nearly crushes the neck of RVD. Misawa is probably laughing with glee at the moment. Cover, but there's a last second kick-out. RVD gets caught with a short powerbomb from Benoit. Big forearm by Chris Benoit, ripping a page from the NOAH playbook. RVD powers out of a headlock. RVD uses a basement dropkick to the knee. Back heel kick off the second rope, Benoit goes down. Chris Benoit gets whipped into the corner by RVD, who charges in with a clothesline. Benoit grabs the referee and pulls him in the way! The referee calls for the DQ as he collapses to the mat in pain. Chris Benoit gets out of the ring and walks off, having taken the cheap way out. I don't think the fight has finished. Rob Van Dam and Benoit have begun brawling again! They wind up brawling all the way down the aisle and out of view. **1\2 rating for a decent contest.

Overall Rating: 69%
Crowd Reaction: 83%
Match Quality: 64%

With a surprising new World Champion, tonight's matchup between Rhyno and Chris Jericho could go a long way toward determining a pecking order among challengers for A-Train. This rivalry has become very personal, and they'll look to blow off some steam tonight.

Rhyno vs. Chris Jericho

Rhyno slams Chris Jericho. Rhyno hits a right hand. Big clothesline on Jericho. Rhyno with a spinning neckbreaker on Jericho. Rhyno only gets knees on a splash. Hard back suplex on Rhyno. Anyone remember when that was Shawn Michaels's finisher? Jericho crushes Rhyno with a running senton. There's a two count on the pin. Rhyno fights out of a grapple. Jericho walks into a spike slam. Cover for a two count. Powerbomb on Jericho. Pin : 1 - 2 - 2.9999999. Jericho reverses a waistlock. Jericho hits a wicked chop that echoes through the building. Rhyno ducks a clothesline attempt. Rhyno with a spinning neckbreaker on Jericho. Chris Jericho can barely stand. Here it comes - Gore. 1....2...3, it's finished. Chris Jericho slides to the outside and grabs a chair, then climbs back into the ring. Rhyno turns around...and gets planted with a huge chair shot to the head! He is left down and out on the canvas. I can't decide whether it's a *** or a ***1\2 match...let's go for a ***1\4 rating to make it fair.

Overall Rating: 77%
Crowd Reaction: 90%
Match Quality: 80%

Recently, Tajiri has made it his mission to make John Cena's life a living hell. Cena looks to bounce back in our next contest.

John Cena vs. Tajiri

Tajiri receives some punishment. John Cena hits some punches. Back elbow connects, Tajiri staggers backward. Bodyslam by Cena. Tajiri counters a sleeper hold by turning it into a jaw breaker. Legsweep out of Nowhere. Where is Nowhere, and why do moves keep coming out of there? Does it have a factory? Tajiri crushes Cena with a running senton. Cover for a two count. Cena blocks a kick from Tajiri. Spear by John Cena. Hooks the leg for a two count. John Cena scores with a standing spinebuster. Pinfall attempt gets a 2.9999. John Cena misses a big legdrop after stalling too long. Tajiri bodyslams John Cena. John Cena powers out of a Tajiri headlock. Fallaway slam by John Cena. John Cena moves in for the kill. F-U! 1....2....3. I don't think the fight has finished. John Cena and Tajiri have begun brawling again! They wind up brawling all the way down the aisle and out of view. A good *** rating.

Overall Rating: 78%
Crowd Reaction: 92%
Match Quality: 77%

Eddie Guerrero had hoped for a match against his rival Christian tonight, but Christian's recent injury has postponed that match until No Mercy. Will that contest be for the Intercontinental Title? Jeff Hardy will certainly be trying to make it not so as he defends the gold.

Intercontinental Title Match - Eddie Guerrero vs. Jeff Hardy (c)

Dropkick connects, Eddie goes down. Eddie Guerrero ducks a clothesline attempt. Eddie hits a wicked chop that echoes through the building. The referee bumps after catching a wild right hand and is down. Springboard dropkick from Eddie Guerrero. Nicely done. Hooks the leg, but the referee is still out. Hardy drops out the back of a Eddie Guerrero bodyslam attempt. Spin kick by Jeff Hardy to the face. Flying reverse elbow by Jeff Hardy. Cover for a two count. Back heel kick off the second rope, Eddie goes down. Pinfall attempt gets a 2.9999. Eddie backdrops Jeff Hardy out of a piledriver attempt. Flying reverse elbow by Eddie Guerrero. Hooks the leg for a close fall. Hardy counters an arm wringer with an elbow to the side of the head. Jeff Hardy floors Eddie Guerrero...and climbs the turnbuckles. Through the air, Swanton Bomb! 1....2....3. I'll give it a **1\2 rating.

Overall Rating: 71%
Crowd Reaction: 87%
Match Quality: 63%

Rey Mysterio has long made a career out of being a giant killer. But tonight he faces possibly the most dangerous giant of all-time, the monstrous Brock Lesnar!

Rey Mysterio vs. Brock Lesnar

Rey Mysterio scores with a back heel kick on Lesnar. Rey hits a wicked chop that echoes through the building. Hard back suplex on Lesnar. Anyone remember when that was Shawn Michaels's finisher? Second rope flying axe handle, Lesnar goes down. Brock Lesnar ducks a clothesline attempt. Brock Lesnar with a spinning neckbreaker on Rey. Big piledriver on Rey. Cover for a two count. Rey Mysterio reverses a hip toss. Lesnar takes a hurrancarana from Rey Mysterio. Cover for a two count. Springboard dropkick from Rey Mysterio. Nicely done. Pinfall attempt gets a 2.9999. Lesnar pushes out of a Rey Mysterio hold. Chanelling the spirit of Misawa, Brock Lesnar uses a forearm to the face. Rey Mysterio elbows Brock Lesnar in the face to break a hammerlock. Lesnar takes a flying neckbreaker from Rey Mysterio. Brock Lesnar can barely stand. 6-1-9! 1....2....3. Brock Lesnar goes nuts, screaming and yelling at everyone within earshot. I can't decide whether it's a *** or a ***1\2 match...let's go for a ***1\4 rating to make it fair.

Overall Rating: 82%
Crowd Reaction: 99%
Match Quality: 76%

We opened the show tonight with a World Title match, and we'll be ending it with the WWE Championship. The longest-reigning champion of the last year, The Rock, looks to get his gold from Matt Hardy Version 2.0 who has been dominant since winning the belt from Rock's friend and tag team partner John Cena.

WWE Title Match - The Rock vs. Matt Hardy Version 2.0 (c)

Matt Hardy Version 2.0 scores with a back heel kick on Rock. Matt Hardy Version 2.0 fires off some right and left hands. Rude Awakening on The Rock by Matt. Matt uses a basement dropkick to the knee. Rock reverses a Matt Hardy Version 2.0 hammerlock. Big clothesline on Matt. Full nelson slam on Matt. Hooks the leg for a two count. Matt Hardy Version 2.0 elbows The Rock in the face to break a hammerlock. Flying cross body off the top rope! I'll give a 0.8 on the Steamboat scale for that effort. There's a two count on the pin. Back heel kick off the second rope, Rock goes down. Pinfall attempt gets a 2.9999. The Rock avoids a Matt Hardy Version 2.0 avalanche. Matt takes a headbutt from The Rock. Matt powers out of a headlock. Matt Hardy Version 2.0 hits a rolling kick on Rock. Matt Hardy Version 2.0 has The Rock down on the canvas and is ascending the corner. Off the top - Middle-Rope Legdrop, forget about it. 1....2...3! Matt Hardy Version 2.0 goes into the crowd, where he celebrates his victory I can't decide whether it's a *** or a ***1\2 match...let's go for a ***1\4 rating to make it fair.

Overall Rating: 82%
Crowd Reaction: 100%
Match Quality: 76%

<font color=goldenrod>A-TRAIN IS THE WORLD CHAMPION?!?!?! :eek:

Also, I'm forseeing a Triple H return as the new chairman of WWE.</font>

SEPTEMBER 27, 2004 - MONDAY NIGHT RAW

Last night's Unforgiven PPV has turned World Wrestling Entertainment on its ear, with a shocking World Title change. Tonight, new champion A-Train has his first title defense against Chris Jericho! Plus, Vincent Kennedy McMahon makes his final WWE appearance, and he has promised to hand the company off to the only man he trusts to do the job.

The show opens with a battle for the WWE Tag Team Titles. Last week, Tommy Dreamer won a ten-man battle royal to earn tonight's shot for himself and Lance Storm against Big Show and Kane, the Ministry Monsters.

Solid match that doesn't get quite the reaction I'd hoped for, but it's entertaining. Eventually, Show manages to block a suplex, slam Storm, then he and Kane hit a double chokeslam for the win and the successful title defense.

As they're celebrating, the Natural Born Ministry music hits, and Sean O'Haire leads Undertaker, Damien, Chuck Palumbo, Johnny Stamboli, Mark Jindrak, and Shawn Stasiak to the ring. O'Haire gets right up in Big Show's... chest. He berates Show for costing him the World Title to A-Train last night at Unforgiven. Show tries to play up the fact that he was just trying to help, but O'Haire is having none of it. He talks about how the reason the Natural Born Ministry was formed was because he wanted to join forces with Undertaker, and he wanted Damien - the future of the industry - on his side. Big Show and Kane were... excess baggage. And it's time to cut them loose. On cue, the other Ministry members (except for Kane's brother Undertaker, who looks on disapprovingly) beat Show and Kane down, leaving the tag team champions laying.

Up next is a one-on-one contest pitting Randy Orton against Val Venis. Orton picked up a big win last night over Shelton Benjamin, and he continues his positive momentum by winning an excellent match via the RKO.

Next week on RAW, Mickie James will defend the Women's Title against the winner of the following ten-diva battle royal. Jacqueline is the first elimination, courtesy of Jazz. Terri Runnels follows up by eliminating Shaniqua, only to get dumped out by Victoria. Molly Holly is the next to fall, thanks to Dawn Marie. Dawn continues to beat the established stars by eliminating Gail Kim. Jazz is the next out as Victoria takes her out after a big punch. Trish Stratus sends Dawn to the floor next, then the match turns into an exciting three-diva battle royal pitting Trish, Lita, and Victoria against each other. They battle for a long time until Trish takes care of Victoria. Finally, Trish dumps her friend Lita over the top and to the floor to earn the title match next week.

Backstage, Randy Orton is still celebrating his victory when he comes across Shelton Benjamin. Orton tells him that he had fun beating him last night. Shelton pushed Orton to his limits, and he wants more. No Mercy is only thirteen days away. Do you want to do it again? Shelton accepts the challenge, and the match is on!

Shane McMahon is nervously pacing backstage when he's approached by his father. Vince asks his son if he's ready for tonight's big announcement. Shane tells him that he is. He's been waiting for this moment all his life, but now that it's here, he's a little nervous. Vince says not to worry. Everything's taken care of. Besides, the company is going to be in very good hands!

Shelton Benjamin, who we now know will face Randy Orton in a rematch at No Mercy, prepares for a huge challenge next. Chris Benoit has been dominant over the last few months, winning King of the Ring and the United States Title, not to mention a previous tag team title reign. Shelton looks good, but once Benoit gets the Crippler Crossface applied, Rob Van Dam flies in out of nowhere and blasts Benoit with a Five-Star Frogsplash! The referee calls for the bell, but RVD hits another Five Star.

He then grabs a microphone and challenges Benoit to another rematch for the United States Title. He's tired of coming so close, and in 13 days, RVD's going to be the champion of the USA!

Next up is our World Title main event! A-Train pulled off the shocking victory last night, thanks to botched interference from Big Show. Now, less than 24 hours after winning the belt, he must defend it for the first time against Chris Jericho! It's not a great match, but the crowd is pretty hot, since they're still high on the surprise title change. Train seems to have things under control when Sean O'Haire appears at ringside out of nowhere. Train attacks him, but gets hung out to dry! Jericho clamps on the Walls of Jericho. Train struggles mightily, but the pain is just too great, and he taps out. We have a new World Champion! Again! Jericho and O'Haire work over Train until Rhyno comes tearing down the aisle with a chair, clearing the ring.

Rhyno asks for a microphone and says that he beat Jericho last night at Unforgiven. And as such, he should be the #1 contender. So, in 13 days, he's cashing in that shot and all it's going to take is one Gore Gore Gooooooooore to become the new World Champion!

"No Chance In Hell" plays, and Vince McMahon comes out to a massive pop. Not necessarily because of who it is, but because there is a huge-moment feel right now. Vince swaggers down to the ring and grabs the mic. He takes the moment to soak in the atmosphere before launching into a promo. Vince talks about his history in this industry, from working for his father as the PBP guy up through buying him out through wiping out the territory system, through putting the AWA out of business, through putting ECW out of business (boooo), finally through ending World Championship Wrestling. All the while, he's run the company his way. Recently, he's begun to realize that "his way" may not cut it anymore. "His way" was fine when there was competition. But now that he's running the entire industry, he can't help but have become a little complacent. And so it's time to shake up the industry once more, and the company that he's built into an empire. So tonight, he's going to pass the reins to the man who ran side-by-side to him through the greatest boom period in the history of the industry. The man who has been loyal to him since his first day working in WWE. That man... is Eric Bischoff! "I'm ba-aaaaack!" The crowd boos like mad, as everyone was looking forward to Shane McMahon taking over. Bischoff hits the ring and cuts a brief promo about how Vince has made the right decision. Bischoff has tremendous respect for what he's built, but he's excited to inject some new energy. Friday night on SmackDown!, he's introducing a new concept to WWE, and he's inviting the top stars of RAW to attend. Trust me... you'll want to be there! Bischoff smirks, then hugs Vince as RAW goes off the air...

<font color=goldenrod>*marks out*</font>

WWE has come to terms for the release of Big Bossman, Ultimo Dragon, and Val Venis. We wish all three the best in their future endeavors.

SEPTEMBER 2004 RECAP


RAW

(Overall Won-Loss, Season 2 W-L) Main Event (Sep. W-L, Overness) (Matches)
(37-27-3, 3-2) Chris Benoit (3-2, 91) (W Shelton, W Rhyno, L Train, L RVD, W Shelton)
(30-32-2, 2-2) Chris Jericho (2-2, 94) (L Train, W RVD, L Rhyno, W Train)

(Overall Won-Loss, Season 2 W-L) Upper Midcard (Sep. W-L, Overness) (Matches)
(22-4, 4-0) Damien (4-0, 84) (W Dreamer, W RVD, W w/UT vs WGTT, W w/UT vs London/Rico)
(14-3, 0-0) Mickie James (0-0, 100) (N/A)
(41-22-1, 1-2) Sean O'Haire (1-2, 77) (L RVD, W Rhyno, L Train)
(31-23-2, 2-2) Rhyno (2-2, 87) (W UT, L Benoit, L O'Haire, W Jericho)
(14-11, 3-1) Randy Orton (3-1, 85) (W Kane, L Train, W Shelton, W Val)
(33-28-1, 2-2) Rob Van Dam (2-2, 84) (W O'Haire, L Damien, L Y2J, W Benoit)
(28-32-1, 2-1) Undertaker (2-1, 67) (L Rhyno, W w/Damien vs WGTT, W w/Damien vs London/Rico)

(Overall Won-Loss, Season 2 W-L) Midcard (Sep. W-L, Overness) (Matches)
(12-9, 0-1) Victoria (0-1, 71) (L battle royal)
(15-12-1, 1-0) Trish Stratus (1-0, 80) (W battle royal)
(33-28-1, 3-0) Big Show (3-0, 64) (W Haas, W w/Kane vs Train/Haas, W w/Kane vs ECW)
(12-11, 0-1) Jazz (0-1, 74) (L battle royal)
(28-32, 0-4) Shelton Benjamin (0-4, 78) (L Benoit, L w/Haas vs Damien/UT, L Orton, L Benoit)
(20-23, 1-1) Chuck Palumbo (1-1, 69) (W w/Stamboli vs Fred/Tom, L battle royal)
(16-21, 1-1) Johnny Stamboli (1-1, 70) (W w/Palumbo vs Fred/Tom, L battle royal)
(19-27, 1-0) William Regal (1-0, 70) (W triple threat)
(18-26, 4-2) A-Train (4-2, 78) (W Y2J, L w/Haas vs Monsters, W Orton, W Benoit, W O'Haire, L Y2J)
(20-34, 0-3) Charlie Haas (0-3, 69) (L Show, L w/Train vs Monsters, L w/Shelton vs Damien/UT)
(17-31, 1-3) Tommy Dreamer (1-3, 71) (L Damien, L 6-man tag, W battle royal, L w/Storm vs Monsters)
(6-12-1, 0-1) Gail Kim (0-1, 69) (L battle royal)
(14-28, 0-3) Lance Storm (0-3, 62) (L 6-man tag, L battle royal, L w/Tommy vs Monsters)
(6-13, 0-1) Molly Holly (0-1, 74) (L battle royal)
(6-15, 0-1) Lita (0-1, 77) (L battle royal)
(10-26, 1-1) Sylvan Grenier (1-1, 70) (W 6-man tag, L battle royal)
(12-32, 1-1) Rene Dupree (1-1, 72) (W 6-man tag, L battle royal)
(6-26, 1-1) Rob Conway (1-1, 68) (W 6-man tag, L triple threat)
(3-12, 0-1) Lance Cade (0-1, 61) (L triple threat)

(Overall Won-Loss, Season 2 W-L) Lower Midcard (Sep. W-L, Overness) (Matches)
(17-10, 0-1) Mark Jindrak (0-1, 60) (L battle royal)
(26-26-1, 2-1) Kane (2-1, 65) (L Orton, W w/Show vs Train/Haas, W w/Show vs ECW)
(2-5, 0-2) Fred Williams (0-2, 61) (L w/Tom vs Palumbo/Stamboli, L battle royal)
(2-6, 0-1) Shawn Stasiak (0-1, 68) (L battle royal)
(1-5, 0-2) Tom Howard (0-2, 52) (L w/Fred vs Palumbo/Stamboli, L battle royal)
(1-5, 0-1) Shaniqua (0-1, 52) (L battle royal)

(Overall Won-Loss, Season 2 W-L) Opener (Sep. W-L, Overness) (Matches)
(1-3, 0-1) Jacqueline (0-1, 60) (L battle royal)

(Overall Won-Loss, Season 2 W-L) Managers Who Wrestled (Sep. W-L, Overness) (Matches)
(0-1, 0-1) Dawn Marie (0-1, 75) (L battle royal)
(0-1, 0-1) Terri Runnels (0-1, 70) (L battle royal)

(Overall Won-Loss, Season 2 W-L) Future Endeavors (Sep. W-L, Overness) (Matches)
(9-31, 0-2) Val Venis (0-2) (L 6-man tag, L Orton)

Non-Wrestlers (Overness)
Eric Bischoff (96)
Shane McMahon (89)
Al Snow (75)

Managers
Dawn Marie (75) (Lance Storm and Tommy Dreamer)
Terri Runnels (70) (Lance Cade and Rob Van Dam)

RAW Title Changes
World Heavyweight - Chris Jericho beat A-Train (9/27), A-Train beat Sean O'Haire (9/26)
United States - None (Chris Benoit has been champ since 8/22)
WWE Tag Team - None (Big Show and Kane have been champs since 7/26)
Women's - None (Mickie James has been champ since 6/7)

RAW Feuds
Rhyno vs. Chris Jericho (89 Heat)
Rob Van Dam vs. Chris Benoit (88 Heat)
A-Train vs. Sean O'Haire (85 Heat)
Shelton Benjamin vs. Randy Orton (85 Heat)

SEPTEMBER 2004 RECAP

SmackDown!

(Overall Won-Loss, Season 2 W-L) Main Event (Sep. W-L, Overness) (Matches)
(14-6, 4-1) Jeff Hardy (4-1, 92) (W Chavo, L 6-man tag, W w/Matt vs Eddie/Rock, W 8-man tag, W Eddie)
(42-23, 2-2) Brock Lesnar (2-2, 99) (L fatal fourway, W Cena, W 8-man tag, L Rey)
(40-24, 2-3) The Rock (2-3, 100) (W fatal fourway, W 6-man tag, L w/Eddie vs Hardyz, L 8-man tag, L Matt)
(39-28, 2-3) John Cena (2-3, 96) (L fatal fourway, W 6-man tag, L Brock, L 8-man tag, W Tajiri)
(29-31, 0-2) Christian (0-2, 94) (L w/Tajiri vs Rey/Rico, L Rico)
(25-27, 4-1) Rico (4-1, 89) (W w/Rey vs Xian/Tajiri, W Xian, W w/London vs Metros, W w/London vs Acid/BJ, L w/London vs Damien/UT)
(28-35-1, 1-4) Eddie Guerrero (1-4, 100) (L fatal fourway, W 6-man tag, L w/Rock vs Hardyz, L 8-man tag, L Jeff)

(Overall Won-Loss, Season 2 W-L) Upper Midcard (Sep. W-L, Overness) (Matches)
(40-21, 3-1) Matt Hardy (3-1, 95) (L 6-man tag, W w/Jeff vs Eddie/Rock, W 8-man tag, W Rock)
(34-29, 2-3) Rey Mysterio (2-3, 94) (W w/Rico vs Xian/Tajiri, L Tajiri, L Akio, L 8-man tag, W Brock)
(26-29-1, 3-2) Tajiri (3-2, 92) (L w/Xian vs Rey/Rico, W Rey, W Nova, W 8-man tag, L Cena)
(11-23-2) Paul London (3-1-1, 75) (D Kidman, W Bats, W w/Rico vs Metros, W w/Rico vs Acid/BJ, L w/Rico vs Damien/UT)

(Overall Won-Loss, Season 2 W-L) Midcard (Sep. W-L, Overness) (Matches)
(33-20, 2-2) D-Von Dudley (2-2, 77) (W w/Bubba vs FBI, L Layfield, L 6-man tag, W w/Bubba vs Metros)
(31-22, 2-2) Bubba Ray Dudley (2-2, 75) (W w/D-Von vs FBI, L Carlito, L 6-man tag, W w/D-Von vs Metros)
(35-26, 2-2) Dave Batista (2-2, 80) (W w/Layfield vs Kendrick/Noble, L London, L 6-man tag, W Stevens)
(24-20, 3-1) John Layfield (3-1, 74) (W w/Bats vs Kendrick/Noble, W D-Von, L 6-man tag, W Funaki)
(14-13, 1-2) Billy Gunn (1-2, 71) (W w/Kanyon vs Chavo/Stevens, L w/Kanyon vs Rico/London, L w/Kanyon vs Dudleyz)
(3-3, 1-1) BJ Whitmer (1-1, 63) (W 6-man tag, L w/Acid vs London/Rico)
(3-3, 1-1) Trent Acid (1-1, 62) (W 6-man tag, L w/BJ vs London/Rico)
(3-3, 1-2) Christian York (1-2, 61) (L triple threat, W 6-man tag, L Kendrick)
(16-18) Nova (3-1, 70) (W triple threat, W Nunzio, L Tajiri, W 6-man tag)
(15-17, 2-2) Chris Kanyon (2-2, 73) (W Stevens, W w/Gunn vs Chavo/Stevens, L w/Gunn vs Rico/London, L w/Gunn vs Dudleyz)
(3-4, 2-1) Brian Kendrick (2-1, 62) (L w/Noble vs Bats/Layfield, W 6-man tag, W York)
(24-34-1, 2-2) Chavo Guerrero (2-2, 77) (L Jeff, L w/Stevens vs Metros, W Carlito, W 6-man tag)
(10-16, 2-1) Jamie Noble (2-1, 64) (L w/Kendrick vs Bats/Layfield, W 6-man tag, W 6-man tag)
(7-16-1, 1-1) Akio (1-1, 66) (W Rey, L 6-man tag)
(3-13, 0-4) Aaron Stevens (0-4, 66) (L Kanyon, L w/Chavo vs Metros, L 6-man tag, L Bats)
(6-28, 0-4) Nunzio (0-4, 72) (L w/Vito vs Dudleyz, L w Nova, L 6-man tag, L 6-man tag)
(5-26, 1-2) Carlito (1-2, 72) (W Bubba, L Chavo, L 6-man tag)
(2-12, 1-1) Funaki (1-1, 63) (W 6-man tag, L Layfield)

(Overall Won-Loss, Season 2 W-L) Lower Midcard (Sep. W-L, Overness) (Matches)
(1-1, 0-0) Jay Briscoe (0-0, 56) (N/A)
(1-1, 0-0) Matt Stryker (0-0, 56) (N/A)
(1-1, 0-0) Colt Cabana (0-0, 52) (N/A)
(2-5, 0-0) Johnny Jeter (0-0, 45) (N/A)
(5-15-1, 0-0) Mark Henry (0-0, 58) (N/A)
(1-6, 0-0) Zach Gowan (0-0, 57) (N/A)
(0-1) Vito Thomaselli (0-1, 56) (L w/Nunzio vs Dudleyz)

(Overall Won-Loss, Season 2 W-L) Openers (Sep. W-L, Overness) (Matches)
(2-2, 0-0) Generalin Intikami (0-0, 45) (N/A)

(Overall Won-Loss, Season 2 W-L) Injured Reserve (Sep. W-L) (Matches)
(9-24, 0-1) Spike Dudley (0-1) (L triple threat)

(Overall Won-Loss, Season 2 W-L) Future Endeavors (Sep. W-L) (Matches)
(22-28-3, 0-1-1) Billy Kidman (0-1-1) (D London, L 6-man tag)

Non-Wrestlers (Overness)
Eric Bischoff (96)
Steve Austin (93)
Tazz (72)

Managers (Overness) (Clientele)
Paul Heyman (92) (Brock Lesnar and Tajiri)
Theodore Long (66) (Mark Henry)

SmackDown! Title Changes
WWE World - None (Matt Hardy has been champ since 5/20)
Intercontinental - None (Jeff Hardy has been champ since 7/15)
World Tag Team - None (Hardy Boyz have been champs since 8/22)
Cruiserweight - None (Tajiri has been champ since 8/22)

SmackDown! Feuds
Eddie Guerrero vs. Christian (100 Heat)
The Rock vs. Matt Hardy Version 2.0 (97 Heat)
Rey Mysterio vs. Brock Lesnar (96 Heat)
John Cena vs. Tajiri (96 Heat)

<font color=goldenrod>Uh oh. Hope Noid and Funky Fly don't see that you've released their favorites. :shifty:

Interested in seeing what Bischoff's new concept is.</font>

OCTOBER 1, 2004 - SMACKDOWN!

"I'm ba-ack!" The crowd erupts in a chorus of boos as the new Chairman of World Wrestling Entertainment Eric Bischoff makes his way to the ring, grinning ear-to-ear. Just four nights ago, Bischoff and Vince McMahon shocked the world when he was announced as Vince's successor at Vince's son Shane's expense. Bischoff grabs a microphone. "Just four nights ago, Vince McMahon made the smartest decision of his life. He knew that his time was coming to its end, and he knew that the only man to replace him was the man who very nearly put him out of business less than a decade ago. Me!" Booooooooo! "Four nights ago when I stood in that ring as Vince McMahon rode off into the sunset, I promised that I was going to introduce a new concept tonight, and I am a man of my word. I invited RAW's top stars tonight, because this announcement concerns the best wrestlers in the world on both brands. Tonight, I've booked a series of matches featuring those stars. I want to find out tonight who the Elite superstars of World Wrestling Entertainment are, because those men will be the ones to carry my vision of the industry into the future. These Elite superstars, by virtue of winning their matches tonight, will earn a unique opportunity. That is the opportunity to appear on both RAW and SmackDown each week, the opportunity to headline both brands on a weekly basis. But, seeing as how I'm the man in charge... you have to earn that spot. And if I decide that you no longer belong in the Elite, I can make you defend your spot in a match down the line. If someone else impresses me down the line, I'll let them earn that spot. So, this goes out to all of the WWE superstars. This is your chance to prove that you belong in the main event. To prove that you are, in fact, Elite!"

The first spot in the Elite is up-for-grabs as United States Champion, the 2004 King of the Ring Chris Benoit takes on former World Champion Sean O'Haire! These are two of Bischoff's pet projects, former top stars in World Championship Wrestling, so it's no surprise that they're getting this opportunity. Solid match between two technically-sound stars that unfortunately ends when the man that O'Haire screwed out of the title on RAW, A-Train, hits the irng looking for revenge. While the ref is distracted, Train plants O'Haire with the Derailer, allowing Benoit to pick up the win. After the match, Train blasts O'Haire with a steel chair, then hits him a couple more times on the mat before hitting a drop toehold onto the chair. O'Haire is a bloody mess!

Train grabs the mic and issues a challenge to O'Haire. This was just about the World Title at Unforgiven. All Train wanted was his opportunity, and he beat O'Haire to win it. But Monday night, O'Haire made it personal when he cost Train the title to Chris Jericho. So Train is fine with keeping it personal. At No Mercy, he's going to prove to O'Haire that he deserves to be a challenger for the gold at his expense!

Paul London hits the ring next for a non-title match against Intercontinental Champion Jeff Hardy, the winner earns a spot in the Elite! Very exciting match with a few good nearfalls that eventually ends with Jeff hitting the Swanton on London for the win and the second spot in the Elite.

Up next is our first interbrand Elite match as RAW's rookie monster Damien takes on SmackDown!'s Rico. Decent match that gets a strong crowd reaction. Damien works power while Rico uses his speed and martial arts prowess. Eventually, Rico hits a diving headbutt that takes him out of the action long enough for Kane to hit the ring and chokeslam Damien while the ref's back is turned. Rico picks up the win, completely unaware of Kane's interference. Rico is now Elite!

It's another interbrand match next as RAW's Rob Van Dam takes on SmackDown!'s Christian for a spot in the Elite! Very exciting match between two top-notch high-fliers. Great back and forth action that, like most of tonight's other matches, ends with interference from Chris Benoit, who clamps the Crippler Crossface on RVD, allowing Christian to pick up the cheap win and a spot in the Elite. After the match, Benoit hits the ring and pummels RVD. Now that Benoit can float between brands, why is he still fixated on Rob Van Dam?

One of this generation's dream matches is up next as RAW's Randy Orton takes on SmackDown!'s John Cena! Cena looks to be on the verge of picking up the win after the F-U, but he's attacked by Tajiri, resulting in a DQ win to launch him into the Elite. After the match, Tajiri and Orton go to work on Cena until Shelton Benjamin helps clear the ring.

In just nine days at No Mercy, Chris Jericho will defend the World Title against Rhyno, but tonight we get a preview of that match as they go one-on-one for a spot in the Elite! Tremendous match that the crowd eats up until Rhyno sets up for the Gore, only to get blasted by a set of brass knuckles! The ref doesn't see it as Jericho picks up the win! Jericho doesn't stick around for Rhyno to wake up as he sprints back up the aisle, happy to escape with an Elite slot.

Another spot in the Elite will go to one of SmackDown!'s top cruiserweights next as Eddie Guerrero takes on the Japanese buzzsaw Tajiri! It amazes me that Eddie Guerrero can continue to put on Match of the Night candidates while "not putting in much effort" due to low morale. This one is no exception as he lands his trademark Frogsplash. However, before the ref can finish counting the three, Christian drags him out of the ring, resulting in a disqualification. After the match, Christian drives his now fellow Elite member into the ring post. Before he can do too much damage, John Cena comes tearing down the aisle to make the save.

Rey Mysterio and Brock Lesnar have put on tremendous matches for weeks, including a masterpiece at Unforgiven. Tonight, a spot in the Elite is at stake as they do it one more time! Very exciting match that has one of only a few clean finishes tonight when Lesnar manages to block a suplex attempt from Rey and turn it into the F5 for the win. After the match, they brawl back up the ramp and out of sight. This is definitely not over!

In yet another Unforgiven rematch, WWE Champion Matt Hardy Version 2.0 takes on The Rock in our main event, a spot in the Elite on the line! It's another exciting match that Rock looks to be about to win until Matt's brother Jeff hits the ring with a chair. He tries to take out The Rock, but accidentally blasts his brother, allowing Rock to toss him from the ring and hit the Rock Bottom on Matt for the win! After the match, the Hardy Boyz try to take out The Rock, but he drives them off and stands tall as SmackDown! goes off the air!

The Elite
Brock Lesnar
Chris Benoit
Chris Jericho
Christian
Eddie Guerrero
Jeff Hardy
John Cena
Rico
The Rock

<font color=goldenrod>WWE Elite is an interesting concept. I'd have to guess it has something to do with guys bitching about not being used more than once a week?</font>

:lol: That was the start of it. But I also hope it will open up some new feuds and give these guys something new to fight over.

OCTOBER 4, 2004 - MONDAY NIGHT RAW

"I'm ba-ack!" The crowd boos like mad as Eric Bischoff makes his way to the ring for the second time as Chairman of WWE. He congratulates the nine men who proved they were Elite on Friday night, and welcomes the SmackDown! stars to RAW tonight, where our main event is going to pit six of the Elite against each other in a huge tag match. He talks about how tremendous the matches between The Rock and Matt Hardy Version 2.0 have been and announces that in six days at No Mercy, they're going to tangle one more time for the gold!

The Divas are in action next in a triple-threat match pitting three of the top contenders to Mickie James' Women's Title against each other. This isn't officially a #1 contender match, but it will definitely go a long way toward determining one. Decent reaction for a pretty weak match. Molly Holly takes Jazz out of commission with a running dropkick in the corner, only to eat a flying knee to the face and a moonsault from Lita, who picks up the win.

Elite member Rico makes his first RAW appearance in over six months since being drafted to SmackDown! as he takes on La Resistance's Rene Dupree. Dupree doesn't look bad, but he's clearly outclassed as Rico takes him out with his trademark spinning kick.

Rico grabs a ringside microphone and issues a challenge for No Mercy against fellow Elite member Jeff Hardy for the Intercontinental Title. Hardy appears on the TitanTron preparing for tonight's main event, and he accepts!

After the events of the last couple of weeks, Kane has wound up on the hitlist of the Natural Born Ministry. Tonight, Sean O'Haire sics his rookie monster Damien on the Big Red Machine! This is the best match Kane has put on in quite some time, and Damien continues to prove that he is a tremendous hand in the ring. Eventually, Kane appears ready to pull off the minor upset until Kane's half-brother the Undertaker hangs him out across the top rope, allowing Damien to chokeslam him for the win. Undertaker seems to have gotten over his initial reticence to attack his brother, as he and Damien begin to put the boots to him. Suddenly, a large brawler hits the ring and helps Kane clear the ring of Damien and Undertaker. Who is this mystery man? And why is he helping Kane?

Lita picked up a big win earlier to put herself into contention for the Women's Title, a belt that is being defended next as Mickie James takes on the woman who won a ten-Diva battle royal last week, Trish Stratus! Decent match that the crowd loves. Mickie hits a big hip toss, but Trish fights back and lnds a big kick to set up Stratusfaction! There's a new Women's Champion, Stratusfaction guaranteed!

In six days, A-Train and Sean O'Haire will hope to settle their feud at No Mercy, as will Shelton Benjamin and Randy Orton. Tonight, both these feuds combine into a tag match. Train and O'Haire start the match and they go at it a good long while. Eventually, all combinations work their way into the ring at one point or another. Train hits a spinning neckbreaker on O'Haire, then hits the Derailer for the win! After the match, all four men brawl back up the ramp, ready for their big matches on Sunday.

Eddie Guerrero heads out to the ring for a promo. He said that last month, he challenged Christian to a match at Unforgiven, a match that had to be cancelled when Christian hurt himself in a ladder match that very night. Now that Christian's healthy, and now that both are Elite, Eddie feels like it's time to re-issue that challenge. Christian accepts, and it's on!

Two more No Mercy matches meet up in our next tag match as Rhyno and Rob Van Dam take on Canadian Violence in preparation for Sunday's World and United States Title matches. Rhyno and Benoit start the match, and just like in the previous contest, eventually everybody takes on everybody. Benoit charges RVD in the corner down the stretch but eats a big kick. RVD hops up top and lands a big flying cross-body to set up the Five-Star Frogsplash and the win!

Now it's Rey Mysterio's chance to head to the ring to issue a challenge. Rey's the only Elite superstar not involved in a match tonight, but he wants to make one for Sunday. Mysterio-Lesnar one more time at No Mercy! Lesnar appears on the TitanTron (sans Paul Heyman, who is relegated to SmackDown!) and accepts.

And now for our six-man main event pitting Eddie Guerrero, John Cena, and The Rock vs. Brock Lesnar, Christian, and Intercontinental Champion Jeff Hardy. Eddie Guerrero and Christian start the match, but it doesn't take long before all three heels are taking turns teeing off on Guerrero. However, once Eddie gets a hot tag to Cena, it's Jeff's turn to get isolated. Eventually, it degenerates into a series of quick tags and high spots ending with Eddie taking out Christian with a big kick, landing a legdrop, and hitting his frogsplash for the win as RAW goes off the air.

OCTOBER 8, 2004 - SMACKDOWN!

"If ya smeeeeeeeeeeeeeelll..." The last show before No Mercy kicks off with a bang as the People's Champion, the #1 contender for the WWE Title, The Rock makes his way to the ring. Tonight's going to be pretty promo heavy, as there hasn't been a lot of time since Unforgiven to hype this PPV. The Rock cuts a pretty standard Rock promo (meaning: awesome) on his title match against Matt Hardy Version 2.0 on Sunday night. Rock also hypes that they're officially signing the contract for the main event tonight, so we can expect more fireworks then, no doubt.

Backstage, Shane McMahon is on his cell phone, talking about how he has a bad feeling about Eric Bischoff being in charge of his family's company. "Bischoff spent years trying to destroy World Wrestling Entertainment, and now he's holding the reins? Look, I just want to make sure that we're on the same page here. You've got my back on this, right? Okay. I'll see you next week."

Our opening contest is for a shot at Tajiri's Cruiserweight Title next week on SmackDown! as Paul London takes on The Hurricane! These two friends put on a tremendous match that sees London turn a Hurricane sleeper into a jawbreaker to set up London Calling for the win. After the match, there's a heartfelt handshake as Hurricane congratulates London on his title shot.

Backstage, WWE Chairman Eric Bischoff is hanging out with Canadian Violence, Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho. He hypes their tag main event tonight against Eddie Guerrero and Rico, but also talks about how he never doubted they would be among his Elite and that if either of them ever needs anything, they know where to find him. He asks Benoit about when/if he plans to use his Money In The Bank title shot. Benoit chuckles and says "All in good time," and claps Jericho's back, which makes the reigning World Champion look a little uneasy.

Up next, the monstrous "Nature Boy" Dave Batista takes on a fellow midcarder who's struggled to grab attention lately when he faces Chavo Guerrero. Chavo seems to be inspired by his uncle Eddie's ascension to the Elite as he puts his massive opponent away with his trademark brainbuster. After the loss, Batista loses it, assaulting the referee. The locker room empties to drag him away before he can do too much more damage.

Rey Mysterio comes to the ring next for a big tag match. But first, he cuts a promo about his feud with Brock Lesnar and their upcoming No Mercy match. Basic stuff, but it does an effective job adding heat to the feud. Rey teams with Cena against Brock Lesnar and Tajiri next!

Cena and Lesnar start the match off in a WrestleMania XX rematch, but quick tags all around get everyone involved. Great action throughout, but eventually Cena prepares for a big suplex only to have it countered into a roll-up by Tajiri, who grabs a handful of tights for the cheap win! After the match, all four men brawl to the back.

Back from the break, they finally get separated, but Cena issues a challenge to Tajiri for Sunday night, and it's accepted!

Jeff Hardy appears on the TitanTron. He's already at the site of the PPV, so he's not in the arena tonight. He knows Rico's got tonight's big tag main event, and he wishes him luck. But he'd hate to see him hurt before their Intercontinental Title match at No Mercy, so he hopes that Canadian Violence can hold back... at least a little.

And now for our tag main event. The crowd is all for it, even though both Benoit and Eddie are "sluggish and don't put in much effort." Lots of great technical wrestling from Benoit, Jericho, Eddie, and Rico. Eventually Eddie gets in a big spinning back kick on Benoit but is distracted by the appearance of Christian at ringside. Eddie turns his attention to him, only to get hung out to dry and stumble back into the Crippler Crossface. Eddie has no choice but to tap out, and the three heels beat on the babyfaces afterwards.

Back from the last break, a table has been set up in the ring for the contract signing for the WWE Title match at No Mercy between The Rock and Matt Hardy Version 2.0. The champ signs first, then hands the pen over to The Rock. Immediately after he signs it, Hardy drives the table into his midsection, then puts him through it with the Twist of Fate. The champ stands tall as SmackDown! goes off the air...

OCTOBER 10, 2004 - NO MERCY

Last month, Unforgiven kicked off with the shocking upset of A-Train winning the World Title from Sean O'Haire. The following night, O'Haire cost Train the title in a match against Chris Jericho, which has set up tonight's grudge rematch.

A-Train vs. Sean O'Haire

Stiff chop lights up A-Train. O'Haire bodyslams A-Train. Bodyslam by O'Haire. Fallaway slam by Sean O'Haire. A-Train ducks a wild right hand. A-Train with a badly-executed spinning neckbreaker on O'Haire. A-Train hits a stump piledriver on Sean O'Haire, although it was quite weak in its execution. Hooks the leg for a two count. O'Haire reverses a waistlock. Massive backbreaker, A-Train got planted. Early reports indicate that the back was *not* actually broken, so the move's name should actually be backhurter. Hooks the leg for a two count. Death valley driver by Sean O'Haire, A-Train got planted. Pin, but A-Train is out just before the three count. O'Haire drops an elbow...but misses. Fate can be so cruel. O'Haire receives some unexciting punishment. A-Train gets taken down out of nowhere. Bodyslam by O'Haire. Sean O'Haire moves in for the kill. Prophecy!!! That shook the ring. 1....2....3!! **1\2 rating for a decent contest.

Overall Rating: 77%
Crowd Reaction: 82%
Match Quality: 68%

The feud between RAW Superstars Shelton Benjamin and Randy Orton has heated up over the last couple of months, and Benjamin looks to bounce back from last month's loss to Orton with a win tonight.

Shelton Benjamin vs. Randy Orton

Big clothesline on Orton. Shelton hits a stump piledriver on Randy Orton. Hooks the leg for a two count. Orton counters an arm wringer with an elbow to the side of the head. Randy Orton fires off some right and left hands. Orton slams Shelton Benjamin down. There's a two count on the pin. Brutal seated powerbomb on Shelton. Cover, but there's a last second kick-out. Running knee lift from Randy Orton. Shelton Benjamin elbows Randy Orton in the face to break a hammerlock. Gutwrench into a powerbomb, Orton hits hard. Cover for a two count. Shelton Benjamin plants Orton with an exploder suplex. Hooks the leg for a close fall. Flying shoulder tackle by Shelton sends Orton to the mat. Shelton Benjamin fires off some right and left hands. Orton blocks a kick from Shelton Benjamin. Orton slams Shelton Benjamin down. Randy Orton drills Shelton Benjamin with a press slam into a Michinoku Driver. Randy Orton gets a roll-up...and grabs a handful of tights as well! The referee doesn't see it: 1....2...3!! Randy Orton slides out of the ring to the floor, then turns and leaves through the crowd. He's happy to have the win, and evidently isn't going to hang around for Shelton to get some payback. I'm knocking off half a star for some blown spots, so that's a ***1\2 rating.

Overall Rating: 84%
Crowd Reaction: 85%
Match Quality: 85%

Intercontinental Champion Jeff Hardy and #1 contender Rico have both moved their way into Eric Bischoff's Elite, allowing them to appear on both RAW and SmackDown! Tonight, they go one-on-one with Hardy's title on the line!

Intercontinental Title Match - Rico vs. Jeff Hardy (c)

Jeff Hardy gets hip tossed by Rico. Jeff Hardy comes up with a right hand out of nowhere. Hardy hits a wicked chop that echoes through the building. Hardy whips Rico into the turnbuckles...and predictably, the referee gets sandwiched. Vicious kick to the teeth from Jeff Hardy. Hooks the leg, but the referee is still out. Rico comes up with a right hand out of nowhere. Jeff Hardy takes a knee lift from Rico. Flying elbow off the top rope by Rico, poor elevation though. Hooks the leg for a two count. Slingshot clothesline by Rico, who almost messed it up by slipping on the ropes. Hooks the leg for a close fall. Rico misses a clothesline. Flying reverse elbow by Jeff Hardy. Pinfall attempt gets a 2.9999. Rico ducks a wild right hand. Jeff Hardy is in trouble. Spinning Leg Lariat! Matt Hardy Version 2.0 quickly comes running down the aisle and into the ring! Rico turns around. Matt Hardy Version 2.0 spins Rico around. Matt Hardy Version 2.0 hits the Twist Of Fate! The referee calls for the DQ because of the interference of Matt! Hardy and Matt are putting the boots to Rico! The Rock comes running down the aisle with a chair! He slides in, sending Hardy Boyz running for cover. The Rock saved Rico from a major beating. *** rating, as it was good, but nothing too special.

Overall Rating: 79%
Crowd Reaction: 80%
Match Quality: 78%

The series of battles between Rob Van Dam and Elite member Chris Benoit over the United States Title have been among the best this fall. Tonight, the latest chapter of their feud plays out at No Mercy!

United States Title Match - Rob Van Dam vs. Chris Benoit (c)

RVD tastes a high angle back suplex. It probably tasted like chicken. Benoit almost belly-to-belly suplexes Rob Van Dam through the mat. Cover for a two count. RVD counters an arm wringer with an elbow to the side of the head. Rob Van Dam scores with a back heel kick on Benoit. Hard back suplex on Benoit. Anyone remember when that was Shawn Michaels's finisher? There's a two count on the pin. DDT from the top rope by Rob Van Dam. That looked brutal. Pinfall attempt gets a 2.9999. Legsweep out of Nowhere. Where is Nowhere, and why do moves keep coming out of there? Does it have a factory? Benoit reverses a Rob Van Dam hammerlock. Doctor Bomb, RVD is hurt. Cover for a two count. Corkscrew brainbuster suplex, Benoit hit it well. Pin, but RVD is out just before the three count. RVD gets caught with a short powerbomb from Benoit. Chris Benoit snap suplexes RVD. Benoit only gets knees on a splash. Spin kick by Rob Van Dam to the face. Slingshot senton by RVD, crushing the chest of Benoit. Rob Van Dam signals for the Five-Star Frogsplash! Chris Jericho comes out of the crowd and into the ring! Rob Van Dam turns around. Chris Jericho drops RVD to the canvas. Chris Jericho quickly locks on the Walls of Jericho! The referee calls for the DQ because of the interference of Jericho! Canadian Violence are beating down on Rob Van Dam! The music of Rhyno hits, and he comes running down the aisle into the ring. Benoit and Jericho bail out of the ring, leaving Rob Van Dam down in the ring. Rhyno may have saved Rob Van Dam from a brutal beating. **1\2 rating. Perfectly Acceptable Wrestling.

Overall Rating: 76%
Crowd Reaction: 81%
Match Quality: 65%

Two weeks ago, Rhyno defeated Chris Jericho at Unforgiven. The next night, Jericho won the World Title from A-Train on RAW. Tonight, these two members of the Elite go at it one more time, only this time the title is on the line!

World Title Match - Rhyno vs. Chris Jericho (c)

Jericho hits a wicked chop that echoes through the building. Rhyno reverses a Chris Jericho hammerlock. Jericho gets slammed. We have our mandatory ref bump, as he goes down after accidentally getting caught by an elbow to the face. Rhyno scores with a standing spinebuster. Pinfall attempt, but the ref is conveniently laid out. Jericho blocks a punch. Hard back suplex on Rhyno. Anyone remember when that was Shawn Michaels's finisher? Vicious lightning kick by Jericho on Rhyno. There's a two count on the pin. Tiger suplex on Rhyno, right from out of the Misawa playbook. Cover, but there's a last second kick-out. Jericho only gets knees on a splash. Spear by Rhyno. Hooks the leg for a close fall. Chris Jericho fights out of a grapple. Rhyno gets knocked to the ground by Jericho. Here it comes...Walls of Jericho! Rhyno taps! I'll give this a ***1\4 rating.

Overall Rating: 85%
Crowd Reaction: 88%
Match Quality: 81%

John Cena and Tajiri have had one of the most heated rivalries on SmackDown! over the last several weeks, with Cena picking up the big win at Unforgiven. Can he make it two in a row against the Japanese Buzzsaw?

John Cena vs. Tajiri

Big backdrop on Tajiri, executed well. Spear by John Cena. Hooks the leg for a two count. Cena only gets knees on a splash. Spinning back kick from Tajiri. Tajiri hits a rolling kick on Cena. There's a two count on the pin. Diamond Dust from Tajiri, Cena is out. Cover, but there's a last second kick-out. Hard back suplex on Cena. Anyone remember when that was Shawn Michaels's finisher? John Cena pulls a mule kick out of nowhere. Spear by John Cena. Hooks the leg for a two count. Death valley driver by John Cena, Tajiri got planted. Pin, but Tajiri is out just before the three count. Fallaway slam by John Cena. Cena slams Tajiri. Tajiri reverses a waistlock. Big backdrop on Cena, executed well. Power drive elbow by Tajiri. Tajiri moves in for the kill. Kick Of Death! 1....2....3. *** rating for a good bout.

Overall Rating: 88%
Crowd Reaction: 94%
Match Quality: 77%

Two weeks ago, Rey Mysterio picked up a huge win over Brock Lesnar, only for Lesnar to bounce back with a win on SmackDown! to earn a slot in the Elite. Tonight, it's the rubber match between two of SmackDown!'s biggest stars!

Rey Mysterio vs. Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar hits some punches. Rey pushes out of a Brock Lesnar hold. Lesnar walks into a high dropkick from Rey Mysterio. Rey Mysterio misses a clothesline...and takes out the referee by mistake. Lesnar walks into a face crusher variation. Hooks the leg, but the referee is still out. Lesnar ducks a wild right hand. Gut buster, Rey hits hard. Spear by Brock Lesnar. Cover for a two count. Brock Lesnar brings out a jumping powerbomb to nearly kill Rey. Cover, but there's a last second kick-out. Rey pushes out of a Brock Lesnar hold. Flying cross body off the top rope! I'll give a 0.8 on the Steamboat scale for that effort. Pinfall attempt gets a 2.9999. Brock Lesnar powers out of a Rey Mysterio headlock. Brock Lesnar moves in for the kill. F5!!! That shook the ring. 1....2....3!! *** rating for a good bout.

Overall Rating: 87%
Crowd Reaction: 93%
Match Quality: 75%

Eddie Guerrero was supposed to face Christian last month at Unforgiven, but the match was postponed after an injury put Captain Charisma on the shelf. Tonight, they'll finally get their match.

Eddie Guerrero vs. Christian

Christian walks into a high dropkick from Eddie Guerrero. Eddie hits a wicked chop that echoes through the building. Flying elbow from Eddie Guerrero. Flying elbow from Eddie Guerrero. Christian powers out of a headlock. Christian slams Eddie Guerrero down. Gutwrench into a powerbomb, Eddie hits hard. Cover for a two count. Christian misses a big legdrop after stalling too long. Flying reverse elbow by Eddie Guerrero. Cover for a two count. Tiger suplex on Christian, right from out of the Misawa playbook. Cover, but there's a last second kick-out. Christian blocks the suplex attempt. Eddie takes a back suplex. Christian misses a big legdrop after stalling too long. Eddie uses a basement dropkick to the knee. Eddie Guerrero drives Christian into the corner. Swinging DDT, forget about it. 1....2...3! Almost wandered into *** match territory, but there was too much that dragged it down so it only gets a **3\4 rating.

Overall Rating: 89%
Crowd Reaction: 99%
Match Quality: 68%

Like much of tonight's show, our main event is a rematch from Unforgiven, and we're culminating with a battle for the WWE Title! Last month Matt Hardy Version 2.0 successfully defended against The Rock. Tonight, the people's champion once again hopes to become the WWE Champion!

WWE Title Match - The Rock vs. Matt Hardy Version 2.0 (c)

Rock bodyslams Matt Hardy Version 2.0. Matt Hardy Version 2.0 powers out of a The Rock headlock. Matt Hardy Version 2.0 strikes Rock. Matt Hardy Version 2.0 misses a clothesline...and takes out the referee by mistake. Power drive elbow by Matt Hardy Version 2.0. Hooks the leg, but the referee is still out. Rock pushes out of a Matt Hardy Version 2.0 hold. The Rock with a spinning neckbreaker on Matt. Spear by The Rock. There's a two count on the pin. Death valley driver by The Rock, Matt Hardy Version 2.0 got planted. Cover, but there's a last second kick-out. Matt kicks The Rock in the gut to reverse the momentum. Matt crushes Rock with a big legdrop. Pin, but Rock is out just before the three count. Rock pushes out of a Matt Hardy Version 2.0 hold. Matt Hardy Version 2.0 is in trouble. Rock Bottom! 1....2....3. The Rock climbs each turnbuckle in turn, working the crowd as he celebrates his victory I can't decide whether it's a *** or a ***1\2 match...let's go for a ***1\4 rating to make it fair.

Overall Rating: 90%
Crowd Reaction: 96%
Match Quality: 77%

OCTOBER 11, 2004 - MONDAY NIGHT RAW

It seems like so long ago, but we're just one day removed from No Mercy, and the road to Survivor Series kicks off! WWE Chairman Eric Bischoff has stated that he will make an announcement about that PPV tonight. Plus, a massive tag main event has been set up pitting four members of the Elite against each other as John Cena teams with the WWE Champion The Rock to take on Chris Benoit and the World Champion Chris Jericho! And the four winners of last night's matches who are not already members of the Elite will face off in a fatal fourway match for membership!

But first, it's a triple threat match featuring three teams looking to work their way into contention in the tag division as Lance Storm and Tommy Dreamer take on Fred 'n' Tom and the team of Rob Conway and William Regal. The heels work over Fred Williams early, but then quick tags quickly work all the participants through. Eventually, the two guys named Thomas wind up in the ring together and Dreamer puts Howard away the Dreamer Driver for the win.

It's another triple threat next as A-Train hopes to get back on the winning track as he takes on Lance Cade and Johnny Stamboli. He does, putting Cade away with the Train Wreck.

Last week, we saw the debut of the monstrous Payne as he saved Big Show and Kane from an assault by their former stablemates Damien and Kane. Tonight, he takes on another member of the Natural Born Ministry, Chuck Palumbo. It's a solid brawl that ends with Payne picking up the submission hold by virtue of the Payne Killer.

As a result of last week's attack, Show and Kane are set to defend the WWE Tag Team Titles against Damien and Kane in our next contest. Decent match that gets a better reaction than any of these guys have had in weeks. As Kane prepares to chokeslam Damien, he's attcked by Mark Jindrak. Show tries to make the save but gets laid out by Shawn Stasiak. Jindrak hits Splash Mountain on Kane, and they go to work on their former partners.

Back from commercial, and the entire Natural Born Ministry has hit the ring, and they've incapacitated Show. With him out of the picture, they focus all of their intensity on Kane, beating him down brutally, leaving his immediate future in doubt.

As JR and Prazak talk about what just happened to Kane while introducing our next tag match as being for a shot at Kane and Show next week on RAW. It's the World's Greatest Tag Team against La Resistance. Good match between two pretty evenly-matched teams As Shelton Benjamin prepares to put Sylvan Grenier away during a spotfest clusterfuck at the end, Randy Orton blasts him with an RKO behind the ref's back. After the match, the trio of heels work over WGTT.

"I'm ba-ack!" The crowd erupts in a chorus of boos as WWE Chairman Eric Bischoff makes his way to the ring. He grabs the microphone and cuts a promo hyping the success of the Elite program and wishing luck to the quartet of superstars looking for a tenth spot tonight. He brags about No Mercy drawing the best buy rate in six months, just a sign of things to come under his regime. He then goes on to talk about Survivor Series, coming up in five weeks. Tonight and every show leading up to the Series, one new team will be announced. Just like last year, there will be four preliminary matches to determine who will participate in the main event, as well as a Divas match and a battle royal. But unlike last year, all the teams will consist of superstars from both RAW and SmackDown! He introduces the first team - the Jerichoholics! World Champion Chris Jericho comes to the ring with Chris Benoit, John Layfield, and the Metro Connection. They pose with Bischoff as we go to break. What a collection of talent!

Up next it's a tag team showcase with two members of the Elite, Brock Lesnar and Jeff Hardy, teaming up to take on Rhyno and a third Elite member, Rico! Exciting match that gets a great reaction until Rhyno puts Jeff away with the Gore! After the match, the heels get a measure of revenge and everybody looks like a million bucks.

And now for a play-in match for the Elite as United States Champion Rob Van Dam (who beat Benoit last night at No Mercy), Randy Orton (who beat Benjamin), Sean O'Haire (Train), and Tajiri (Cena) go all out in a fatal fourway! Tremendous match featuring a ton of high spots that ends with Tajiri putting RVD away with the Kick of Death for a spot.

In the rubber match following two great pay-per-view encounters, Eddie Guerrero and Christian go toe-to-toe tonight on RAW! The crowd loves this (97% reaction!) but Eddie's lax attitude leads to a match that fails to live up to expectations. Eventually, Christian slingshots Eddie facefirst into an exposed turnbuckle to allow him to pick up a rollup victory. Christian takes off at speed to avoid Eddie's wrath.

And now for our main event! Both world champions, plus two of the biggest stars in the Elite go at it live on RAW. Eventually, Benoit rolls through a Rock pin and grabs the tights to get the win. Canadian Violence celebrate the win until their rivals Rhyno and Rob Van Dam come out for a measure of revenge after months of frustration, blasting Benoit with a spike piledriver. Afterwards, they put him through a table and stand over him as RAW goes off the air.

OCTOBER 15, 2004 - SMACKDOWN!

SmackDown! kicks off with a #1 contender match for the World Tag Team Titles. Next week, the Hardy Boyz will defend the gold against the winners of this match as the Dudley Boyz take on the Metro Connection! Everybody gets a shot at everybody else at some point during the contest, and it's a good one. In the end, D-Von pins Billy Gunn after the 3-D to earn the title shot next week!

Backstage, we see Shane McMahon walking down the hall and the crowd erupts. Last week, Shane was on the phone with a mystery man and he told him he'd "see him tonight" insinuating it was someone who would help him take his family company back from Eric Bischoff. He arrives at a door, takes a deep breath and knocks. The door opens and out steps... Paul Heyman!!! The two shake hands and walk off together, talking about plans for the future. A babyface turn for Paul Heyman? Aligning with Shane McMahon against Eric Bischoff? This is gonna be good...

The Cruiserweight Title is on the line next as Tajiri takes on Paul London. And these two push the limits with an incredible match that serves to put over both men and the title itself. London almost gets the belt after a springboard dropkick, Tajiri almost retains with a superkick, then another after a big kick to the face. London channels his mentor Shawn Michaels with a superkick that almost gets him the win, but eventually he falls to the Kick of Death as Tajiri retains.

The ECW theme song hits and Paul Heyman comes to the ring. He cuts a brief promo about Eric Bischoff and what he did to ECW, but that mostly he's here to introduce a Survivor Series team. Bischoff has handpicked Benoit and Jericho, two men that Heyman brought to the national spotlight in ECW, to be his chosen ones. Well, if Bischoff wants those guys to be the guys running his first Survivor Series team, he's got a quintet of friends that would love to remind them where they came from. "This Is Extreme" by Harry Slash & The Slashtones hits again, and the crowd erupts as Rhyno leads Rob Van Dam, Tommy Dreamer, and the Dudley Boyz to the ring. Heyman introduces the ECW Originals and says that their victory over the Jerichoholics is just the beginning of Heyman and Shane taking back the company from the clutches of the man Heyman hates more than anyone on the planet, and they're going to do it the way we used to do it. It's going to be extreme!

World Champion Chris Jericho is out after the commercial, Heyman's words obviously still ringing in his ears, as he prepares to take on John Cena in a huge singles contest. It's exciting to watch as these two put on a show. Eventually, Jericho blasts Cena with a DDT that puts both men out of commission. While the ref checks on Jericho, who is selling it way too hard, Tajiri hits the ring (and Cena) with a steel chair. Jericho makes a miraculous recovery and clamps on the Walls of Jericho. After the match, Tajiri continues the assault with the chair, and Cena is left a bloody mess.

Backstage, Chris Benoit cuts a promo on Rob Van Dam. He hypes the Survivor Series match, as well as their ongoing feud over the United States Title. He talks about his match next against Rico for the gold and says that when he retains, RVD is going to find out - once and for all - why they call him the Crippler.

That match is next, and it's a bit of a disappointment as Benoit continues to phone it in (although his morale is improving thanks to the formation of the Elite). Rico looks good throughout, getting a couple of nearfalls, but eventually he gets caught with a short powerbomb that Benoit quickly turns into the Crippler Crossface for the submission victory.

Eddie Guerrero is backstage, and it's his turn for promo duty. He talks about his running feud with Christian. He says that the plan is succeeding. The two were supposed to put each other over into the upper echelon of WWE, and here they are, charter members of the Elite. Looks like it worked. Problem is, along the way, it got personal. And the Guerreros... we're warriors. When it gets personal, we get better. And when we get better, our opponents get hurt. So, for Christian's sake, he'd better hope that they don't wind up on opposing sides at Survivor Series, because their next PPV encounter might be their last!

Eddie and Christian are on opposite sides of a tag match next as Eddie teams with his best friend Rey Mysterio while Christian teams with the monstrous Brock Lesnar! Both feuds get their chance to shine, and eventually it comes down to Rey and Lesnar in the ring. Brock has an arm submission locked in when Rey blasts him with an elbow, then a running senton to set up the West Coast Pop for the win! After the match, all four men brawl up the ramp and to the back.

The Rocks' theme hits the speakers, and the WWE Champion makes his way to the ring. "Finally! The belt has come back to the Great One!" The crowd erupts as he launches into a promo about Matt Hardy Version 2.0 and their ongoing feud over the WWE Title. Rock talks about winning the gold back at No Mercy five days ago and how he knows that it's not over. He's been doing this long enough to know that one big win is never enough to silence a tough challenger, and Matt's as tough as the champ has had in quite a while. But these past couple of weeks have been proof of what everyone has known all along. Matt's very talented. He's fantastic in the ring, but he's... well, he's just not as good as his brother. Jeff's in the Elite, and Matt's on the outside looking in. Well, The Rock takes on Jeff Hardy next, and Matt's going to watch as Rock not only beats his brother, but beats his superior. It's time for Matt to step up his game or get to steppin' if he smells what The Rock is cookin'!

And the match is a good one, but of course Rock's words hit home for Matt. Rock manages to put Jeff away with the Rock Bottom, but Matt assaults him with a chair after the match, standing tall over the champion as the show goes off the air.

OCTOBER 18, 2004 - MONDAY NIGHT RAW

Tonight's RAW kicks off with the latest chapter between the leader of the Natural Born Ministry (who will be introducing their Survivor Series lineup tonight), Sean O'Haire and the man who shocked the world by taking the World Title from him last month, A-Train. The crowd is loving this feud, even though their in-ring chemistry leaves a little bit to be desired. O'Haire hits a fallaway slam, then a scoop slam, but Train gets a foot up on an avalanche attempt. Train works over O'Haire with punches, driving him into the corner. The official attempts to pull Train back, which gives O'Haire the opportunity to pull out a pair of brass knuckles. Train charges, and gets blasted! Unfortunately, O'Haire isn't sneaky enough and the ref sees it and calls for the bell. Once Train shakes the cobwebs loose, they brawl back up the ramp and out of sight.

Backstage, Big Show is in Eric Bischoff's office with the WWE Tag Team Titles. A video plays of Kane being laid out by the Ministry last week. Bischoff informs Show that he is incapable of defending the belts tonight against La Resistance, a shot La Res earned last week by defeating the World's Greatest Tag Team. Bischoff gives him a choice - find a partner, or it's a handicap match!

The challengers are in the ring, awaiting Show and his partner (?)'s arrival. Show makes his way to the ring with the belt and introduces his new partner... Payne! The monstrous brawler makes his way to the ring and shakes Show's hand. Good match, but the live crowd is still a little confused why Kane isn't out there (yay, pre-tape!). As Payne looks about set to put Dupree away, Johnny Stamboli and Chuck Palumbo hit the ring with chairs, and blast Payne behind the ref's back! Dupree clamps the Figure-Four on Payne, but he's out cold and it's just a formality. The ref calls for the bell and awards the belts to La Resistance, and the crowd is absolutely shitting on the title change. After the match, Palumbo and Stamboli go to work on Show and Payne, continuing the fledgling rivalry.

Eric Bischoff is backstage, and he has something to say to Paul Heyman. "Paul, I have to tell you, I have to admire the fact that - despite the fact that I almost single-handedly put you under four years ago - you keep coming back for more. What I don't admire is that you seem to be taking this so personally! Paul, you may hate me, and aligning with Shane McMahon is a wise move on your part if you want revenge, but you're just another employee. And while I may not have bought your ass in 2000, I own it now, because as long as you're under WWE contract, you work for me. And you can rouse all the rabble on SmackDown! that you want, because my predecessor made the mistake of signing you to a long-term contract. But you have no authority, and you can't touch me on Monday nights. And you can throw all the 'ECW Originals' at me you want, but the fact is - just like you - they were big fish in a small pond, and now that they're on my programming, my boys are going to crush them just like Nitro did to RAW for so long."

Last week, Randy Orton cost the World's Greatest Tag Team a shot at the WWE Tag Team Titles in a bid to get at his longtime rival Shelton Benjamin. WGTT has issued a challenge for tonight, and Orton has selected the Ministry's rookie monster Damien as his partner. This should be good! And it is, as Orton and Damien show impressive chemistry for two men who've never teamed before. Eventually, Orton heads up top for what will likely be a cross body, but Damien accidentally hits the ropes in an attempt to get at Benjamin, who then takes advantage of Orton crotching himself to hit the Dragon Whip for the win. After the match, Orton grabs Damien and gets in his face over the mistake.

Trish Stratus recently beat Mickie James to become the new Women's Champion. Tonight, Mickie faces Jazz, with the champ as the special referee! Mickie controls most of the match until Jazz gets her into a corner and starts raining down fists. Trish starts to utilize her five-count, and as Jazz lands her tenth punch, Trish calls for the bell. Jazz flips her shit over the DQ loss and locks in an STF, putting the champ out cold.

Rhyno and Rob Van Dam make their way down to the ring for a tables match against Canadian Violence, prompted by last week's altercation. They say they realize that they're marked men now that they've allied with Shane and Paul, drawing Bischoff's ire. Well, you know, that's fine, because we're bringing in some backup of our own. A guy Rob knows well. From the back, we can hear the unmistakable shrill whistling of... oh, dear God... The crowd (the smart ones anyway) flip their shit as Bill Alfonso (!!!!!) makes his way down the aisle and jumps around the ring like... well... Bill Alfonso.

Canadian Violence makes their way to the ring for the tables match next, and they're visibly distracted (who wouldn't be?) by Alfonso's presence at ringside. It's an exciting match with some old-school ECW moments. In the closing moments, RVD sets up Benoit for a piledriver on a table, but Benoit backdrops out of it while Rhyno blasts Jericho with a spinebuster. RVD sets Benoit back up atop the table, then heads up top and hits a split-legged moonsault to put him through it for the win! After the match, Benoit and Jericho get revenge, leaving their rivals laying.

Backstage, the Natural Born Ministry is gathered around Sean O'Haire who runs down the Surivor Series team they're putting up in four weeks. O'Haire is bringing Damien, Undertaker, Palumbo, and Stamboli with him to the PPV, and he lets Taker work in his "Rest in peace" line since he doesn't want to tell us anything we don't already know.

It's an elite six-man tag match next as WWE Champion The Rock teams with Eddie Guerrero and Rico to take on Brock Lesnar, Christian, and Jeff Hardy. The announcers hype the multi-man aspect of the match as a preview for the type of action we'll see at Survivor Series, even speculating that these six would have to be among the favorites to advance to the War Games main event. Eddie Guerrero gets the triple-team treatment from the heels until Rico gets a hot tag and the babyfaces work over Lesnar for a bit until Christian tags back in to the match and puts Eddie away with an Unprettier.

And now for our main event, pitting two members of the Elite who've been in a long-term feud against each other. It's John Cena and Tajiri live int his very ring! Once more, they put together a very good match, and Cena eventually picks up another big win with the F-U to send the fans home happy.

<font color=goldenrod>I still love the idea of the Natural Born Ministry</font>

<font color=goldenrod>So, after an extended absence...I'm going to (yet again) - try my hand at a WWE game. I abandoned my last attempt after just a few shows, because TEW is just so tedious to use.

Furthermore, the EWR games I had going are so old at this point that I've lost track of my storylines and I don't really feel like playing with an old roster.

So my new attempt at a WWE game will be in the present - starting in June 2010. I will do as I did with an older game, and mimic the write-ups on WWE.com. I won't have to list every segment, but I'll give the match results and the jist of what went down.</font>

I've been doing some EWR booking as well but I had to start over with another version because the files I had ended up crapping out on me and I couldn't advance any further because of a bug.

<font color=goldenrod>Noooooo :( The never-ending game finally ended.

What year were you on when it shit the bed?</font>

Originally, I lost the files when my laptop went to hell. I was around WrestleMania 54 so that would've been 2038. When I asked you for the files that I had left to you, I worked it to about 2024, I think.

And there's no way in hell I'm gonna recreate everything year-by-year. I booked so much stuff and only wrote down PPV events in the notepad so it's basically a whole other timeline.

<font color=goldenrod>Damn. WrestleMania 54, that's insane.

I'd be definitely intrigued in seeing how you'd book a modern WWE game, as I'm going to attempt to do before inevitably getting bored after a month.</font> :y:

Well, it's certainly going to be different as I had to delete everyone who is dead and I got a bunch of guys who retired way before they did in my other game (Booker T, John Cena, The Hardys). If I can, I'll post my rosters and my Royal Rumble plans.

<font color=goldenrod>Anyway, since I don't feel like beginning in May 2010 and autobooking through 3 weeks worth of shows (risking injuries and fluke occurrences on the way), here's what went down in my mind from Over the Limit through the final day of the month, when I then start on Tuesday, June 1st:

Over the Limit - May 23: Cena retains. Swagger retains. Punk beats Rey via help from the masked man, meaning Rey must pledge to the SES. Orton beats Edge in a close contest. Hart Dynasty retain with Bret at ringside. McIntyre retains. Maryse wins the Divas title. R-Truth beats Ted Jr, turns out Virgil was in cahoots with Truth to give Ted a taste of...well, the truth.

Raw - May 24: Batista gives a bitter farewell speech to the crowd's chagrin. This is his last night in the company. Orton and Edge are announced as two of Cena's challengers at Fatal 4 Way. Miz cashes in mandatory rematch against Bret, no DQ again, the Hart Dynasty are held at bay but Daniel Bryan comes out of the crowd and kicks Miz' head in, Bret retains.

NXT - May 25: Wade Barrett over Justin Gabriel. David Otunga beats Heath Slater. PROS POLL - 1. Barrett stays at the top, 2. Ditto for Otunga, 3. Gabriel. Heath Slater is gone.

Superstars - May 27: Who cares? It's Superstars. :o

SmackDown - May 28: General fallout from the PPV. It is announced that Rey will have to pledge to the Straight Edge Society NEXT week - but there's a catch. Much like those who pledge have to shave, Rey will have to remove his mask. To demonstrate, the SES masked man unmasks to reveal Joey Mercury, who explains his real life problems and how Punk has saved him.

Raw - June 30: A Cena/Edge/Orton main event match is spoiled by Sheamus, who is then announced as the final participant at Fatal Four Way. Bret Hart announces that tonight is his final night in WWE, and as such, he's vacating the United States championship. A tournament will be held to crown a new champion, and the finals of the tournament will happen at Fatal Four Way.

And so, that brings me to June 1st. The first show I post will be NXT whenever I get to it.</font>

You already did Over the Limit. You want the tournament to culminate at the NEXT PPV.

<font color=goldenrod>Edited. Nice catch. :y:

I'll do NXT at some point this evening. I'm actually really looking forward to booking that show going forward. Season 1 will be wrapped up in short order, so I'm scouring the FCW ranks to try and find 8 guys I'd like to use for Season 2.</font>

Well, at the very least, here's the Royal Rumble for 2014:

The 30 Man Royal Rumble
Backstory: Well, back in 1988, Vince McMahon needed to fill an hour-long slot on the USA network and was having a tough time coming up with what do on the show. Pat Patterson then came along and said, "Hey, thanks for that Intercontinental Title, Vince. I wonder how long we can keep pulling that whole "tournament in Brazil" thing." And then Vince said, "Hey, thanks for the ass-kissing, Pat. By God, have you seen my gold plated limo? That Hulk fella's making one rich son-of-a-bitch. I don't really feel like going to Canada for this USA special thing, though. You mind booking that thing? Canadian's make me feel all creepy. Like that Bret kid we signed a while back." And then Pat was all, "Oh, I got a great idea for that thing, Vince! Lot's of men!" And then Vince was all, "That's your answer for everything, Pat." Then they laughed about that and then Pat told him about his Rumble Royale with Cheese idea but then Vince corrected him by pointing out that although France has the metric system and there are French-Canadians who would understand the title, it would be best to have a name for non-metric countries. Pat then pointed out that that's only the U.S. and then Vince said, "F*CK YEAH! U-S-A! U-S-A!". Thus the Royal Rumble was born.

WWE Title: John Morrison (c) vs. U.S. Heavyweight Champion Ted DiBiase
Backstory: John Morrison has been on a role after his draft to Raw and immediate title win over HHH his first night in. Ted DiBiase believes he's on a similar track and has demanded his opportunity at the title. Will Morrison embark on another amazing year or is greatness truly in the genes of Ted DiBiase?

World Heavyweight Title: Chris Sylvain (c) vs. Shawn Michaels
Backstory: Shawn earned this opportunity by winning the Bragging Rights Triple Threat match on SmackDown! against his Bragging Rights teammates CM Punk and Shelton Benjamin. His arrival on SmackDown! seems to be a gateway to a revitalized career for HBK but standing in his path is the reigning World Champion for the last 8 months; a man with only one loss to his name and who seems to have no respect for the legacy of the Showstopper. Shawn vows that Sylvain's overconfidence will be his downfall. It's classic old-school vs. new school at the Royal Rumble for the World Heavyweight Title!

WWE Unified Tag Team Championship: Cash Inc. (c) vs. AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels vs. Tajiri and ???
Backstory: It's the annual Triple Threat Tag Team Title match where the champions must defend against a team from Raw and a team from SmackDown!. Styles and Daniels seem to be doing well renewing their relationship after Daniels' tenure on SmackDown! but the injury to Tajiri's usual partner, Kaz Hayashi, leaves a huge question mark over the title match. Who will be Tajiri's replacement? There's two huge obstacles for the champions to overcome: Uncertainty and the fact that no set of champions have retained the titles in these annual tag title matches at the Royal Rumble.

WWE Cruiserweight Title: Jeremy Lopez (c) vs. Don Maiden:
Backstory: Jeremy Lopez shocked the world at Bragging Rights by bringing the Cruiserweight Title to Raw in the Triple Threat match against Don Maiden and then champion, Kevin Daniels. When Daniels' jump to Raw voided his rematch clause, Don Maiden emerged as the new number one contender after a fatal four way cruiserweight match. Maiden looks to right a wrong from Bragging Rights by taking the gold.

WWE Diva's Title: Kim Roderick (c) vs. Victoria
Backstory: Victoria's been the one Diva that Roderick has been ducking for months but after losing out in a tag match, the champ has no choice now. Will Victoria usher in the Age of Chaos at the Royal Rumble?

WWE Women's Title: Beth Phoenix (c) vs. Oracle
Backstory: The unstable and eccentric Oracle has not taken her title loss at Survivor Series well. But dealing with the Glamazon is a whole other story than the average Diva. Oracle claims to not be afraid of the dominating champion but will that be enough to unseat Phoenix?

So, there. I'm about 3 weeks away from the show but I doubt I'll get around to it anytime soon.

<font color=goldenrod>Daaaaamn Shawn Michaels still trucking in 2014.</font>

<font color=goldenrod><b><u>WWE NXT - June 1, 2010</u>
Down to Two</b>

With just 3 rookies remaining, this week's NXT would be done a little differently. Each rookie was to compete in two matches on the night, one against each of the other remaining rookies. Afterwards, the Pros would conduct the Pros Poll.

<b>Justin Gabriel def. David Otunga</b>
For the last three weeks, Wade Barrett and David Otunga have been the top two ranked superstars. This made it paramount for Justin Gabriel to have a good showing. Indeed he did, pinning the braggadocios A-lister with a 450 Splash following a highly competitive bout.

<b>Justin Gabriel def. Wade Barrett</b>
No rest for the weary, as big Wade Barrett jumped into the ring immediately to capitalize on the winded Justin Gabriel. However, Gabriel managed to shock everybody by keeping Barrett at bay with a bevy of kicks and strikes. Ultimately, Gabriel scored what many would view as an upset - pinning the #1 ranked rookie with a 450 to make it two wins in a row.

<b>Wade Barrett def. David Otunga</b>
Otunga sauntered out to the ring following his breather, knowing full-well that this match could determine the fate of each man. He cockily entered the ring, appearing to take the exhausted Barrett lightly. This backfired on him dearly, as Barrett immediately picked Otunga up and planted him with his barrel roll finishing maneuver for the victory.

<b>Pros Poll</b>
The 7 WWE Pros convened, and the following were the results:

1. Justin Gabriel
2. Wade Barrett
3. David Otunga - ELIMINATED

The A-Lister is headed home to Jennifer Hudson, much to his chagrin. To close the show - it was announced that this was the last Pros Poll. In two week's time, Justin Gabriel and Wade Barrett will meet one-on-one, and the winner will be crowned the first ever winner of NXT. Can Gabriel ride this incredible wave of momentum into next week, or will Barrett prove this week to be a fluke? Tune in next week to find out!</font>

<font color=goldenrod><b><u>WWE Superstars - June 3, 2010</u>
His Tyme</b>

One superstar continues his ascension up the ranks, a monster continues to dominate, the divas are in action, and more.

<b>Yoshi Tatsu def. Primo</b>
Just about a month ago, Primo put aside his differences with his brother to re-form their tag team. In the blink of an eye, that was gone and Primo is once again left to fend for himself. He looked to gain some momentum against the electrifying Yoshi Tatsu, but it was not to be. A very exciting high-flying contest came to an end when Yoshi planted Primo with a kick right to the head.

<b>Natalya def. Jillian Hall</b>
Now that David Hart Smith and Tyson Kidd are wielding gold, Natalya surely would like to get some of her own. Tonight was a good place to start, silencing the ever-annoying Jillian Hall following an impressive spinning powerbomb.

<b>Kane def. Tyler Reks</b>
This is the first time Tyler Reks has been seen on WWE television in quite some time, and he is the final member of the former ECW roster to re-surface, newly signed to the SmackDown brand. Reks seemed to be a bit more arrogant compared to the last time he was seen. He faced some steep competition in his return, as the Big Red Monster Kane made fairly quick work of the arrogant surfer, finishing him with a Chokeslam.

<b>Shad Gaspard def. Matt Hardy</b>
Shad has looked quite impressive since splitting away from JTG, and tonight was no exception. Established veteran Matt Hardy put up a good fight, but in the end he would fall victim to an STO from Shad Gaspard. This victory can only be a sign of bigger and better things to come for Shad, perhaps it really is "his tyme".</font>

<font color=goldenrod>Changed up the NXT results slightly. I'm going to allow an extra week of buildup before the finale, and rather than thrust the NXT winner onto a PPV I'll allow them to build up to the July show before they get their title match.

The two weeks left of June after the finale can function as hype build-up for season 2, which will begin in July. Most of the guys in FCW are horrible right now, so I want to buy them this extra month to boost their stats before coming onto NXT.</font>

<font color=goldenrod><b><u>WWE SmackDown – June 4, 2010</u>
The Bell Tolls</b>

Jack Swagger learning his opponents at Fatal Four Way, rivalries escalating, and Rey Mysterio’s induction into the Straight Edge Society were just a few of the many stories going on tonight.

<b>Christian def. Chavo Guerrero</b>
Chavo felt that Christian had disgraced his aunt Vickie, and looked for retribution tonight. He put up a very good showing, but it was simply not enough as Christian picked up the win following the Killswitch. Immediately following the match, Dolph Ziggler continued to be a thorn in Christian’s side, attacking him from behind once again and locking him in the Sleeper Hold.

<b>Drew McIntyre attacks Kofi Kingston backstage</b>
Having narrowly missed out on the Intercontinental Title at Over the Limit, Kofi Kingston was back at SmackDown this week and ready to right the ship. However, he was jumped backstage by champion Drew McIntyre. Security had to break up the fight as McIntyre continues to abuse the fact that Mr. McMahon won’t allow him to be fired.

<b>Jack Swagger learns his opponents, and tonight’s match</b>
Theodore Long gave Jack Swagger some unwelcome news in regards to his opponents at Fatal Four Way. Firstly, since Jack unfairly retained his title at the PPV, Big Show will get another chance. Secondly, a title shot will be granted to a man who never got to exercise his rematch clause when he lost the belt way back in February due to his feud with Shawn Michaels – The Undertaker will be in the match! The third and final participant would be determined next week via 20-man battle royal. On top of everything else, Swagger will face the Undertaker one-on-one, tonight!

<b>Handicap Match: Big Show def. The Dudebusters</b>
Celebrating the fact that he would be getting another crack at the gold, Big Show looked as impressive as ever, throwing around Trent Barreta and Caylen Croft like ragdolls. Show picked up the win following a Double Chokeslam.

<b>Beth Phoenix def. Michelle McCool</b>
The Glamazon shocked doctors by recovering incredibly fast from her knee injury ( :shifty: ) and she was out for retribution tonight. Not even Layla’s best attempts at ringside could keep the self proclaimed “Co-Women’s Champion” Michaelle McCool from falling victim to the Glam Slam.

<b>Rey Mysterio’s Induction to the SES</b>
CM Punk, Luke Gallows, Serena, and Joey Mercury looked to welcome yet another member into their Straight Edge family. However, Rey Mysterio was less than enthusiastic, and he refused to remove his mask. Punk insisted that the mask hides weakness, and that to be saved, sacrifices must be made. When Mysterio continued to refuse, he fell victim to a 4-on-1 assault. The SES could have easily unmasked him, but Punk waved them off. He vowed that in the very near future, Rey WILL accept Straight Edge into his life.

<b>Finlay def. Curt Hawkins</b>
The veteran Finlay made his return to a SmackDown ring after a prolonged absence, facing the re-emerging Curt Hawkins. Finlay seemed to finally regain momentum after a back-and-forth contest, prompting Hawkins’ partner Vance Archer to climb to the apron. His effort was thwarted by none other than Hornswoggle, who came from under the ring to hit Archer’s shins with a shillelagh. Hawkins stumbled into the Celtic Cross for a Finlay win.

<b>Tag Team match next week</b>
Theodore Long made a big announcement for next week’s show. In addition to the 20-man battle royal for the final World Heavyweight Title spot at Fatal Four Way, we would see a tag team match combining two rivalries as Kofi Kingston and Christian would be going up against Drew McIntyre and Dolph Ziggler.

<b>Cody Rhodes def. JTG</b>
Sporting a new jacket dubbing him “The Uncommon Man”, Cody Rhodes continues to make his mark as a singles star. Rhodes and JTG competed in a very fast-paced matchup that saw Rhodes get the nod following the Cross Rhodes.

<b>Undertaker def. Jack Swagger (DQ)</b>
Swagger appeared to be undeterred by the legendary Phenom. He blocked several of Taker’s attempts at a Chokeslam, and planted the Deadman with a plethora of offensive maneuvers. Still, nothing could keep Taker down for the count. Finally, a frustrated Swagger went outside the ring, retrieved the World Heavyweight Title, and blasted Undertaker in he face with it. When Taker sat up, Swagger jumped out of the ring and retreated, only to bump into the Big Show, who punched him in the face once again.</font>

<font color=goldenrod><b><u>WWE Raw – June 7, 2010</u>
Mayhem</b>

A stacked show tonight saw chaos ensue in the main event as well as five first-round matches in the tournament to determine the new WWE United States champion (the other three first-round matches will take place on WWE Superstars this Thursday night). Who took the first step to championship gold tonight?

<b>United States Title Tournament Match: Chris Jericho def. Tyson Kidd</b>
Despite being the self-proclaimed “best in the world at what he does”, Chris Jericho needed to resort to unfair means to defeat one half of the Unified Tag Team champions. After an excellent bout, Jericho saw no other alternative but to hook Kidd’s tights. David Hart Smith chased Jericho out of the ring before he could get too boastful.

<b>United States Title Tournament Match: Evan Bourne def. Yoshi Tatsu</b>
Two of the fastest men on the Raw roster were hoping to get their first taste of WWE gold in this tournament. They certainly didn’t disappoint the WWE Universe with their match, but ultimately Evan Bourne got the victory following Air Bourne. The two shook hands afterwards in a great show of sportsmanship.

<b>Divas Title Match: Maryse def. Eve Torres</b>
Just a couple weeks after losing her title, Eve looked to make good on her mandatory re-match clause. She certainly took the fight to Maryse, but was once again unable to escape the French Kiss as Maryse maintained her grip on the Divas Title.

<b>United States Title Tournament Match: David Hart Smith def. The Miz</b>
After two defeats to Bret Hart, The Miz will still not get back the belt that he had held for so long. After Tyson Kidd thwarted Miz’ attempt to cheat, Chris Jericho came out to attack him and the referee was distracted. Out from the crowd emerged Daniel Bryan, who kicked Miz in the head and once again cost him a match. David Hart Smith took advantage of the situation and will advance in the tournament.

<b>The Miz challenges Daniel Bryan</b>
Upon recovering from the kick, Miz demanded that security allow Daniel Bryan to come out to the ring. Miz was furious at what has transpired, and has decided to finally grant Bryan his wish to see who is the better man. The Miz challenged Daniel Bryan to a match at Fatal Four Way, an unsanctioned match because Bryan is unemployed. The indy superstar responded by stating “Daniel Bryan has to decline, but Bryan Danielson will gladly kick your head in again at Fatal Four Way.”

<b>United States Title Tournament Match: Ted DiBiase def. Goldust</b>
The Fortunate Son had an appropriate path to traverse en route to championship gold: a match against the Golden One. Although the wily Goldust appeared to get the better of Ted at times, he still fell victim to the Dream Street as DiBiase advanced.

<b>United States Title Tournament Match: R-Truth def. Vladimir Kozlov</b>
Having just seen his rival Ted DiBiase advance, R-Truth must have felt more pressure to do the same. He had the unfortunate task of facing off against the Moscow Mauler, Vladimir Kozlov. Truth utilized his quickness to keep Kozlov off his game, finishing him off with a Scissors Kick to advance. That’s what’s up.

<b>Edge & Sheamus vs. John Cena & Randy Orton ended in a double count out</b>
This match pitted the four men involved in the WWE Championship match at Fatal Four Way. Neither team could completely co-exist with one another, and it certainly showed. The first several minutes resembled a proper tag team match, but soon enough it degenerated into an all-out brawl between all four men. The fight spilled outside the ring and both teams got counted out. Hoards of security attempted to break the brawl up as Raw went off the air.</font>

<font color=goldenrod><b><u>WWE NXT - June 8, 2010</u>
Momentum</b>

With just 1 week to go until the NXT Season 1 Finale, finalists Justin Gabriel and Wade Barrett would see similar action as compared to last week - two matches in one night. Each man would face their opponent's WWE Pro, followed afterward by a tag team match.

<b>Matt Hardy def. Wade Barrett</b>
Wade Barrett continued to be the offensive brute that he'd been throughout the duration of NXT, pulverizing Hardy. However, he clearly had some extra cockiness rub off on him from his WWE Pro, as Matt Hardy kicked Barrett in the gut while he was showboating, leading to a Twist of Fate and a win for Hardy.

<b>Justin Gabriel def. Chris Jericho</b>
Nearly two months ago, the world was shocked when NXT Rookie Heath Slater pinned then-World Heavyweight champion Chris Jericho in the middle of the ring. Jericho was deeply disturbed by it, and certainly he didn't think it would happen again. Yet, it has, and in an all-too familiar fashion. Both men countered each other move-for-move until Gabriel caught Jericho in a sudden roll-up for the victory. Jericho brutally attacked Gabriel after the bell, weakening him for the upcoming main event.

<b>Justin Gabriel & Matt Hardy def. Wade Barrett & Chris Jericho</b>
With Gabriel being battered from the Chris Jericho beatdown, Matt Hardy had to work most of the match solo. Barrett and Jericho took turns wearing down Hardy for most of the match, before Justin Gabriel bravely slapped Hardy on the back, tagging himself into the match. Gabriel showed an incredible amount of guts, taking both opponents by surprise. Hardy recovered well enough to throw Jericho out of the ring as Gabriel picked up the win for his team following the 450 Splash. If Gabriel pins Barrett next week, he will be the inaugural victor of NXT!

With Gabriel and his Pro going 3-0 on the night, they will ride a huge wave of momentum headed into the final. It's Wade Barrett vs. Justin Gabriel in the NXT Finale next week. You don't wanna miss it!</font>

<font color=goldenrod><b><u>WWE Superstars – June 10, 2010</u>
Thursday Night Delight</b>

The weekly interbrand show saw some exciting tag team action from the SmackDown brand, as well as the final three first-round matches in the WWE United States championship tournament.

<b>Joey Mercury & Luke Gallows def. JTG & MVP</b>
The power of straight edge was flowing through CM Punk’s disciples on this night as they showed great chemistry in picking up a win over fan-favorites JTG and MVP. Joey Mercury scored the pinfall victory in his first match back following a double underhook DDT on JTG.

<b>United States Title Tournament Match: Zack Ryder def. Santino Marella</b>
Santino’s boasting on the microphone prior to the match certainly did him no favors, as the Long Island Loudmouth looked more fired up than ever. Ryder made relatively quick work of Santino, finishing him off with the Zack Attack to advance. Woo woo woo, you know it.

<b>United States Title Tournament Match: William Regal def. Mark Henry</b>
Regal certainly appeared unhappy that he was drawn to face The World’s Strongest Man in the tournament. For that reason, using cheap tactics must have been even more paramount, as Regal utilized brass knuckles to pick up the victory and move on in the tournament following a ringside distraction from Regal’s associate Vladimir Kozlov.

<b>United States Title Tournament Match: John Morrison def. Primo</b>
On this night Morrison truly was the Thursday Night Delight, electrifying the crowd in his win over Primo. Primo put up a good showing but appeared to get frustrated after a series of nearfalls, which allowed Morrison to capitalize with the Moonlight Drive. For good measure, Morrison finished it off with the Starship Pain to complete the first round of the tournament. The quarter-finals will continue on next week live on Raw!</font>

<font color=goldenrod><b><u>WWE SmackDown – June 11, 2010</u>
Tall Order of Business</b>

The World Heavyweight Title match for Fatal Four Way is now set, and champion Jack Swagger cannot be happy with it. If any of his three enormous opponents are victorious, he will lose the belt. After what transpired tonight, one has to wonder how Swagger has any chance of retaining.

<b>Jack Swagger addresses the SmackDown Superstars</b>
The night started off with 20 SmackDown superstars standing in the ring ready to fight: Caylen Croft, Chavo Guerrero, Chris Masters, Christian, CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, Curt Hawkins, Dolph Ziggler, Drew McIntyre, Finlay, JTG, Kane, Kofi Kingston, Matt Hardy, MVP, Rey Mysterio, Shad Gaspard, Trent Barreta, Tyler Reks, and Vance Archer. World Heavyweight champion Jack Swagger stood on the rampway and announced that he would be watching this match up-close to see who his final challenger at Fatal Four Way would be. He promised that no matter who it was, there was no way they would be able to beat him.

<b>Kane wins 20-Man #1 Contendership Battle Royal</b>
As if dealing with two giants was bad enough for Swagger, the biggest man in the battle royal (and one of the most prolific monsters in WWE history) came out victorious. Jack Swagger watched from the ramp in horror as Kane eliminated a quarter of the field, lastly clotheslining an impressive Shad Gaspard over the top rope to the floor.

<b>Beth Phoenix, Kelly Kelly, & Tiffany def. Layla, Michelle McCool, & Rosa Mendes</b>
Layla, Michelle, and Rosa had a sound strategy in mind for this match – don’t allow Beth Phoenix to get into the ring. But after isolating Kelly for several minutes, she eventually got the hot tag in to Beth, and when that happened, Lay-Cool abandoned their partner Rosa Mendes. Beth connected with the Glam Slam to get the win for her team.

<b>Finlay def. Vance Archer</b>
A week after defeating his partner Curt Hawkins, Vance Archer looked for retribution against the recently-returned Finlay. Unfortunately for him, Finlay’s son Hornswoggle played a role in the match yet again. Hornswoggle attacked Hawkins with a shillelagh at ringside, and that distracted Archer long enough to eat the Celtic Cross for the loss.

<b>Rey Mysterio to put his Mask on the line at Fatal Four Way</b>
The Straight Edge Society continued to pressure Rey Mysterio into removing his mask in order to properly accept straight edge into his life. Punk accused Rey of being dishonorable and a disgrace to all of those who look up to him. Rey brought up the legacy of Mexican wrestling, and the sheer significance of the mask. Then he countered with a proposal – at Backlash, Punk put his hair on the line while Rey wagered nothing. At Over the Limit, each man wagered something. And now at Fatal Four Way – Rey will show how much his mask means to him by making the only wager in another match against CM Punk. Rey’s mask (and pride) will be on the line. With everything to gain and nothing to lose, Punk agreed to the terms, and much like last week, the Straight Edge Society beat him down.

<b>Christian & Kofi Kingston def. Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre</b>
Two of SmackDown’s continuing feuds were carried out in this tag team contest. All four men got their fare share of ring time in this one. A miscommunication by Drew McIntyre led to Dolph Ziggler being hit with Trouble in Paradise as Kofi got the pinfall victory for his team. After the bout, the Intercontinental champion hit both opponents with his title belt, and then executed a Future Shock to his rival Kofi Kingston.

<b>Shad Gaspard def. Chris Masters</b>
Shad looked just a little bit meaner during this match, obviously still fuming after coming so close to winning the battle royal. The Masterpiece looked impressive in his own right, and so this made for a fairly even bout. Shad continued his quest to show the world that it was “his tyme”, picking up the win following an STO.

<b>Big Show and Undertaker fought to a no-contest</b>
This was a big main event in more ways than one. Former rivals, Big Show and Undertaker took each other to limit as each one looked to gain momentum just 9 days away from Fatal Four Way. How this battle would have turned out is anybody’s guess, as Jack Swagger hit the ring with a steel chair and blasted his challengers with it. For the second week in a row, Swagger got a rude awakening while backing up the rampway, receiving a big chokeslam from Kane on the stage to close the show.</font>

OCTOBER 22, 2004 - SMACKDOWN!

Tonight promises to be a huge episode of the Friday night mainstay. In a triple-threat tag match, Eddie Guerrero and John Cena take on Vitamin C (Chris Jericho and Christian) and Brock Lesnar and Tajiri in a battle of the Elite. Also, the Hardy Boyz defend the World Tag Team Titles against the Dudley Boyz who earned their shot last week with a win over the Metro Connection. Plus, in another huge encounter, Chris Benoit defends the United States Title against Rico. Winner gets the gold... loser has to leave the Elite!

The ring is full of SmackDown! superstars as the show goes on the air as we prepare for a 20-man battle royal! Once the bell rings, all twenty men throw themselves into it, though it's unclear what the reward is for the winner. Nova is the first man out, dumped by Colt Cabana. Shortly thereafter, Chavo Guerrero takes out Generalin Intikami. In one of the more shocking moments to possibly ever occur in a battle royal Zach Gowan eliminates Mark Henry! Matt Stryker is the next one out, eliminated by Funaki, and Chavo follows up with his second elimination as he takes out Jamie Noble. Test eliminates Christian York next, and Chavo gets bundled over by The Hurricane. Colt manages to avoid being tossed out by Vito Thomaselli, but Funaki hits a spinning back kick to take him out. Nunzio's gone next, courtesy of Hurricane. Funaki continues his improbable run as he eliminates Jay Briscoe to drop it down to a top ten. Trent Acid makes his presence known as he eliminates Akio. Speaking of surprising runs, Zach Gowan picks up another elimination as he takes out Johnny Jeter. Test joins the two-elim club when he takes out BJ Whitmer. Funaki's run comes to an end as Carlito takes him out. Gowan's the next one out courtesy of Acid, and apparently the "both feet must hit the floor" rule doesn't apply to him. Vito Thomaselli, who many seem to have forgotten is even in this thing, is the next one out courtesy of Test. And then there were four - Carlito, Test, The Hurricane, and Trent Acid. It turns into a solid fatal fourway with everybody getting in some solid offense. Acid is the next to go as Test dumps him out. Hurricane takes out Carlito next to set up him versus Test at the end. After a little brawling, Hurricane eliminates Test to win the battle royal!

"If ya smeeeeeeeeeeeeelll..." The crowd goes nuts as The Rock makes his way to the ring. He cuts a brief promo about Survivor Series and how he's been selected to captain the team that's going up against the Natural Born Ministry. He then introduces The Great Ones, which is made up of Rock's frequent tag partner John Cena and three men with a long-standing issue with the Ministry - A-Train, Big Show, and Payne! The five men pose for the crowd, and Payne looks like he's getting a hell of a rub being surrounded by four former champions.

Two men who seem to be wandering aimlessly through the midcard lately go toe-to-toe next, hoping to regain some direction. It's Aaron Stevens versus John Layfield. Unfortunately, this winds up being a disappointment, as neither looks very good. Layfield whips Stevens off the ropes, where he's laid out by a Dave Batista chairshot! Stevens staggers into a roll-up for the cheap three-count. After the match, Layfield and Batista pound the living crap out of Stevens, basically leaving him for dead.

John Cena is backstage, and he puts over The Great Ones Survivor Series team, but then goes off on Tajiri. He mentions that he beat him on RAW, but that he knows it's not over. But before Survivor Series, it's going to be. One way or the other, it will be.

Up next is a tag match featuring former champions the Metro Connection taking on the red-hot Paul London and another exciting up-and-comer Brian Kendrick! Great quick tags and double-team offense with several near-falls. Eventually, it comes down to London and Kanyon, who winds up taking London Calling for the loss. Big win for the youngsters!

The Hardy Boyz come to the ring for their World Tag Team Title defense against the Dudley Boyz, but first Matt has something to say to The Rock. Next week, Eric Bischoff has set up one last title match between the two of them... inside Hell In A Cell! And he's going to walk out of SmackDown! once again the WWE Champion, and that is a certifiable Matt FACT!

The Dudleyz are out next for their title shot, and it's a good one. These teams always have tremendous chemistry, and tonight is no exception. Unfortunately, the Dudleyz haven't quite elevated themselves to the same degree that the Hardyz have, and the Hardyz have definitely learned to win the big matches. Eventually, Matt spears D-Von to set up Jeff hitting the Swanton Bomb for the win and the successful title defense.

Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio are backstage talking about Christian and Brock Lesnar and their ongoing feuds. Eddie's part of a huge triple-threat tag main event tonight, and both those guys will be involved. Rey just asks him to save him a piece of Lesnar.

Rico and Chris Benoit's United States Title match is up next, and it's solid. Benoit doesn't put in much effort... again. But Rico again proves that there's really not anybody he can't put on a good match with, but he falls victim to the Crippler Crossface. Benoit remains the champion, and Rico's out of the Elite!

Benoit grabs a microphone after his match and cuts a brief promo on RVD. He likes what Cena said earlier about wrapping things up with Tajiri, and he's ready to do the same with RVD, and he's going to do it on RAW in a Ladder Match. And if RVD thinks he's going to take away the U.S. Title, he's going to prove. him. wrong!

And now for our main event. It's a pretty thrilling, albeit brief match. Lesnar, Cena, Tajiri, and Guerrero do most of the work, with Vitamin C picking their spots. Eventually, Christian picks up another win over his rival Guerrero with the Unprettier. Not exactly sending the fans home happy, but it was a fun match.

Next week on SmackDown!, we know that The Rock will defend the WWE Title against Matt Hardy Version 2.0 inside Hell In A Cell, The Hurricane looks for revenge against John Layfield for putting his friend Aaron Stevens out of WWE possibly forever, Mark Henry looks for revenge on Zach Gowan for his embarassment earlier, and another Survivor Series team will be announced, plus much much more! You don't want to miss SmackDown! next week!

<font color=goldenrod><b><u>WWE Raw – June 14, 2010</u>
Unfavorable Odds</b>

WWE Champion John Cena got a firsthand reminder that he doesn’t even need to be pinned to lose his title on Sunday. In addition, the final four competitors in the United States Title tournament were decided as well as the announcement being made that a new general manager of Raw would be named next week.

<b>United States Title Tournament Match: R-Truth def. William Regal</b>
Fan-favorite R-Truth advances in the tournament despite a very solid effort from William Regal (and Vladimir Kozlov at ringside). His celebration got cut short when Regal and Kozlov both pounced on him. That didn’t last long as Mark Henry came out and got some retribution on Regal and Kozlov for cheating him out of his tournament match on Superstars last Thursday.

<b>United States Title Tournament Match: Chris Jericho def. David Hart Smith</b>
It should be no surprise that Jericho successfully found a way to cheat in a match yet again. One week after winning unfairly against Tyson Kidd, Jericho managed to do the same to Kidd’s partner, David Hart Smith. Jericho had to hightail it out of the ring quickly as Kidd rushed out to his partner’s aid.

<b>Bizarre tag team main event announced, new General Manager next week</b>
Raw announcer Jerry “The King” Lawler got a tidbit of information in his earpiece that he couldn’t hold back. He announced to the world that there is a new General Manager of Raw, and he will be revealed next week. Furthermore, he’s shaking things up tonight by pitting enemies against each other in tag teams – it’ll be Edge and Randy Orton against John Cena and Sheamus!

<b>Natalya def. Alicia Fox</b>
Natalya turned a bad night for The Hart Dynasty into a moderate success with an impressive victory over Alicia Fox. Divas champion Maryse looked on from ringside, one has to think Natalya is in line for a title shot in the very near future.

<b>United States Title Tournament Match: John Morrison def. Zack Ryder</b>
Although he’s won matches on Superstars since joining the Raw brand, the Long Island Loudmouth still has yet to win a match on Monday Night Raw. That wait will have to continue, as his best efforts weren’t enough to keep John Morrison from advancing. Starship Pain never fails to get the job done, and tonight was no exception.

<b>The Miz has some choice words for Bryan Danielson</b>
The Miz cut a promo from backstage, citing that if he went into the arena the cowardly Bryan Danielson would attack him from the crowd again. Miz vowed to give Danielson a taste of his own medicine in their unsanctioned match at Fatal Four Way.

<b>United States Title Tournament Match: Ted DiBiase def. Evan Bourne</b>
DiBiase may soon be able to trade in his Million Dollar belt for real gold after advancing in the tournament over a very game Evan Bourne. Not long after the match ended via Dream Street, R-Truth emerged on the rampway with a microphone, congratulating Ted on advancing and stating that he hopes to see him in the finals, so he can beat him once again live on PPV.

<b>John Cena & Sheamus def. Edge & Randy Orton</b>
The main event tag team bout felt eerily similar to last week’s main event. Neither team could co-exist, and eventually all four men brawled in the ring. With Orton and Sheamus as the legal men, Edge attempted to intervene only for John Cena to cut him off, hoisting him up for an Attitude Adjustment. Cena then got met with an RKO right after. Lastly, Sheamus connected with a Bicycle Kick to the face of Orton as Sheamus picked up the victory for his team. As the Celtic Warrior posed in celebration, it bares repeating that if this same thing happens on Sunday, John Cena will lose his title belt without even getting pinned. Can the champ survive? Order Fatal Four Way to find out!</font>

<font color=goldenrod><b><u>WWE NXT – June 15, 2010</u>
Season 1 Finale</b>

After several months, the first ever winner of NXT has been crowned. He now gets a title match of his choosing at a future PPV. Before the final match, the other 6 NXT rookies were also invited back to ply their craft in randomized matches and hope to impress management with the competition ending.

<b>David Otunga def. Skip Sheffield</b>
Skip Sheffield showed much more fire and tenacity than he did in his previous NXT appearances, and he certainly seemed to have the A-Lister reeling. Unfortunately for Skip, that wasn’t enough to keep the crafty Otunga from grabbing a victory following a hook of the tights.

<b>Bryan Danielson def. Darren Young</b>
Darren Young got an unlucky draw on this night, as the former Daniel Bryan was certainly in the mood to use Young as target practice in advance of his unsanctioned match against The Miz. After using a flurry of unique offensive maneuvers, Danielson netted his first ever win against an NXT rookie following a bridging dragon suplex.

<b>The Miz attacks Bryan Danielson</b>
Danielson didn’t have much time to celebrate, as The Miz hopped into the ring and assaulted him before hitting a Skull-Crushing Finale. Miz belittled his downed opponent as if to say “how do you like it now?” These two men are surely going to tear into each other on Monday.

<b>Michael Tarver def. Heath Slater</b>
If Danielson’s returning performance was the most impressive, Michael Tarver’s surely was the most surprising. Although Slater got the early advantage, Tarver connected with a well-placed punch to the jaw for the victory. Tarver had boasted about his punch going into the contest, but this was the first time it had actually been seen, and it failed to disappoint.

<b>Wade Barrett def. Justin Gabriel to win NXT</b>
After being #1 in the Pros Poll for several weeks running, Wade Barrett seemed to lose some steam after suffering a defeat at the hands of Justin Gabriel last week and falling to #2 on the poll. However, he made up for it this week in a big way. The two finalists had an intense back-and-forth battle that captivated everybody. The turning point came when Justin Gabriel appeared to have the 450 all set up only for Barrett to put his knees up upon impact. Barrett capitalized by hitting his fireman’s carry finishing move, and three seconds later he was crowned the winner of NXT Season 1.

Barrett and his WWE Pro Chris Jericho celebrated afterwards amid streams of confetti. Wade Barrett has now earned the right to a title shot on PPV, and doubtless the intelligent Barrett will inform everybody of his decision in the near future. Furthermore, he has also earned the right to call himself WWE’s next breakout star. How high will Barrett’s rising star go? Will any of the other NXT rookies be able to establish themselves? Continue watching WWE programming to find out!

Next week on the standard 10 PM timeslot, we will take a look back at the most memorable moments from Season 1 of NXT. The following week, we will be introduced to the WWE Pros for NXT Season 2, and they will look to gain momentum before meeting their rookies. NXT Season 2 will formally begin on July 6th.</font>

<font color=goldenrod>WWE Superstars – June 17, 2010
Giant Redemption

One superstar gets redemption from last week, and another bounced back from a loss in tag team action on SmackDown. 4 more great matches from both brands on another fun edition of WWE Superstars.

Matt Hardy def. Tyler Reks
Perhaps frustrated by his NXT rookie Justin Gabriel losing out on the competition, Matt Hardy took out his anger on the Laguna Beach native Tyler Reks. Matt was able to stave off a small Reks rally and pick up the victory after the Twist of Fate.

Gail Kim def. Jillian Hall
Gail did the world a favor by not allowing Jillian to begin singing prior to the match. As per usual, Gail wowed the crowd with her innovative offense and ultimately made Jillian Eat Defeat. Perhaps this win will vault Gail back into the title picture.

Dolph Ziggler def. JTG
Dolph Ziggler’s theme tells everybody that he is “perfection”. He certainly looked the part in this match. JTG put up a good fight as he always does, but that was not enough for the egomaniacal Ziggler, who ducked a JTG clothesline and proceeded to hit a Zig Zag for the victory.

Mark Henry def. Vladimir Kozlov
The World’s Strongest Man clearly hasn’t forgotten Kozlov’s interference in last week’s match. Not only did he aid R-Truth before Kozlov & William Regal could attack him, but he also showed his brute strength against the Sambo Specialist. Henry seemed to absorb Kozlov’s normally formidable headbutts, and then he hoisted the big Russian before World’s Strongest Slamming him to the mat. After this big win, who knows what’s next for Mark Henry.</font>

<font color=goldenrod>WWE SmackDown – June 18, 2010
Temporarily United

Tonight’s main event was slated to be a Fatal Four Way preview – a four-way tag team match pitting each of the participants in Sunday’s World Heavyweight title match with partners of their choosing against each other. However, two of the participants decided to make their own rules – and really, who’s going to tell them no? Jack Swagger may be in trouble this Sunday.

Rey Mysterio def. Chavo Guerrero
This bout served as a rehash of the bitter feud that these two men once had. After plenty of jaw-dropping lucha libre counters and maneuvers, Mysterio got the victory following the 6-1-9 and West Coast Pop. The victory will surely give Mysterio a head of steam with Fatal Four Way just 2 days away.

CM Punk and Rey Mysterio Confrontation
Rey’s celebration was cut short as CM Punk’s music intervened. Out walked the Straight Edge Society. Punk continued to preach the straight edge lifestyle to the WWE Universe and Mysterio himself. Punk reminded Rey on several occasions that he can simply remove his mask now and prevent the beating of a lifetime, but Rey once again refused. The Straight Edge Society appeared poised to gang up on Mysterio for the third straight week, but Rey evaded it. Is this the last we’ve seen of a masked Rey Mysterio on SmackDown? We’ll find out on Sunday.

Women’s Title Match: Beth Phoenix def. Layla (Count-Out)
The Glamazon continues to be on an absolute warpath. Any offense that Women’s champion Layla could muster seemed to have little if any effect on Phoenix. For the second straight week, Layla opted to walk out of the match. Lay-Cool ran to the back, leaving a clearly annoyed Beth Phoenix standing in the ring, taking an unsatisfying count out victory. The Women’s champion can’t dodge the Glamazon forever.

Kofi Kingston def. Cody Rhodes
“The Uncommon Man” Cody Rhodes has really upped his game since being drafted to the SmackDown brand a month and a half ago. He has shown great potential to shine in the singles spotlight at some point. Unfortunately for him, tonight just was not his night as he was bettered by the ever-popular Kofi Kingston. After a high quality bout, Kingston picked up the win with the Trouble in Paradise. Almost instantaneously, Intercontinental champion Drew McIntyre performed yet another sneak attack on Kingston, hitting him in the back of the head with the Intercontinental championship and then landing a Future Shock.

Intercontinental Title bout booked for Fatal Four Way
SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long was quick to burst onto the scene. He informed Drew that he was growing sick and tired of these constant sneak attacks, and so Sunday at Over the Limit – he will once again be defending the Intercontinental Title against Kofi Kingston!

Curt Hawkins & Vance Archer def. Finlay & Hornswoggle
SmackDown’s newest tag team has been wanting to make an impact, and tonight they did just that. Hornswoggle tagged himself in and was soon met with a swinging scoop slam from Hawkins. As Hawkins climbed to the top rope, Finlay attempted to intervene but was met with a boot to the face by Archer. Hawkins connected with a top rope elbow drop to Swog for the victory.

MVP def. Shad Gaspard
Ever since finding his mean streak, Shad Gaspard has looked nearly unstoppable. He found himself some tough competition tonight in MVP. Both of these men are looking to make their marks in title pictures – and for much of the contest no one man seemed to have the advantage. Shad whipped MVP into the ropes for a Big Boot, but MVP ducked. MVP kicked Shad in the gut and then delivered a Playmaker for the big win. Shad appeared to be absolutely livid upon recovery.

Triple Threat Tag Team Match: The Brothers of Destruction def. Jack Swagger/Drew McIntyre & Big Show/Christian
Although all four men were supposed to pick their own partners, Kane and The Undertaker operate under their own rules – and shocked the other four participants by picking each other as partners. This match was certainly a fitting precursor to what can be expected to be seen on Sunday. With McIntyre and Christian preoccupied with one another and Big Show outside the ring, the Brothers of Destruction hit World Heavyweight champion Jack Swagger with a huge double chokeslam. Both men pinned Swagger, perhaps a sign of things to come for him. Although they were united tonight, it’s going to be every man for himself come Fatal Four Way. Who will walk out as World Heavyweight champion? Call your PPV provider and find out!</font>

<font color=goldenrod>FINALIZED FATAL FOUR WAY CARD

WWE Championship: John Cena (C) vs. Randy Orton vs. Edge vs. Sheamus

World Heavyweight Championship: Jack Swagger (C) vs. Big Show vs. Undertaker vs. Kane

Intercontinental Championship: Drew McIntyre (C) vs. Kofi Kingston

Semi-Finals and Finals of United States Championship Tournament: R-Truth vs. Chris Jericho, John Morrison vs. Ted DiBiase, Winners Meet in the Finals

Rey Mysterio's Mask on the Line: Rey Mysterio vs. CM Punk

Unsanctioned Match: The Miz vs. Bryan Danielson</font>

<font color=goldenrod>I will continue posting my progress here on the off-chance that anybody outside of Loopydate actually reads this thread, however, I have also begun posting my game on the EWBattleground. They have a pretty active area for EWR/TEW diaries called "The Dome". I haven't received very many comments on my game, but it's gotten about 300 views so at least I know people are reading.

They are admittedly pretty anal about certain things (namely posts - you shouldn't post in your diary topic unless you are making a significant update and/or answering a question or criticism from somebody. If you simply make a post like "Sorry I haven't updated in awhile, my game's not dead, etc." they will chew you out)...but it seems like a good community to post these in overall and help maintain my interest.

Anyways, Loopy - I think you've done some great things with your game, and I definitely think they'd like it over there. If I were you I'd totally set up a topic over there and start posting your shows gradually from the very beginning (until you can catch up to where you are now). They really love to see character development and you've definitely shown that with people like the Natural Born Ministry, "Nature Boy" Dave Batista, etc.

If you're interested the link is:</font> http://www.ewbattleground.com/forum/index.php

Thanks, Vito. May need to take you up on that. And thanks for the compliments. Really enjoying your game, too. Very interested in seeing what you've got in mind for Fatal Fourway and the second season of NXT. Guessing Alex Riley, Joe Hennig, and Johnny Prime all get looks. Probably one or both of Jackson Andrews or Eli Cottonwood. Maybe Brett DiBiase and/or Wes Brisco? Big FCW fan so I'm interested to see how you play it off. Of course, you could also just have Kaval come in and destroy everybody for a few weeks too.

<font color=goldenrod>http://www.gerweck.net/1ff4.jpg

WWE Fatal Four Way
June 20, 2010

Dark Match: Christian def. Chavo Guerrero
Fans arriving to the arena early were treated to a bonus match between two of SmackDown’s most athletically gifted superstars. The match was a back-and-forth affair until Chavo charged the cornered Christian and was hit with a Pendulum Kick. Chavo stumbled and Christian took advantage and got the win with the Killswitch, getting the night started on a happy note for the fans.
Winner: Christian
***1/2, 83% Overall Rating

United States Title Tournament Semi-Finals: Chris Jericho vs. R-Truth
Chris Jericho’s insulting of the crowd before the match had the fans rooting harder for R-Truth than ever before. Both men seemed fairly even to start before Jericho took over proceedings. Jericho seemed to perpetually be on the brink of victory, but Truth kept kicking out at two. Jericho clearly was getting flustered, and that would prove to be his undoing As R-Truth began to mount a rally that would not let up until he connected with the Lie Detector to beat the first ever Undisputed champion and advance to the finals of the tournament.
Winner: R-Truth
***, 85% Overall Rating

United States Title Tournament Semi-Finals: John Morrison vs. Ted DiBiase
Now knowing who their opponent would be, both Ted DiBiase and John Morrison pulled out all the stops to ticket themselves for a spot in the finals. The crowd was emphatically behind Morrison, hoping to see a match between him and his occasional tag team partner. Morrison battled back late, planting DiBiase with a smooth dropkick and setting him up near the ropes. Morrison attempted to seal the deal with the Starship Pain, but DiBiase moved out of the way, sending Morrison crashing to the mat. DiBiase put Morrison on Dream Street to advance and set up a bout with his rival, R-Truth.
Winner: Ted DiBiase
***1/2, 83% Overall Rating

Intercontinental Title Match: Kofi Kingston vs. Drew McIntyre (C)
As is quickly becoming the norm for situations involving Drew McIntyre, there was plenty of controversy. As the match progressed Kofi Kingston appeared all but certain to walk out of Fatal Four Way with the gold. Perhaps sensing this, McIntyre took it upon himself to “accidentally” knock out referee Charles Robinson by whipping Kofi into the corner where the ref was standing. McIntyre retrieved his championship belt and took a swing at Kofi with it, but Kofi ducked and gave Drew a taste of his own medicine. Robinson recovered and counted three, giving us a new Intercontinental champion.

However, after only being able to celebrate for a few minutes, agent Tony Garea was seen at ringside talking with ring announcer Tony Chimel. Chimel then whispered something in Charles Robinson’s ear. Chimel then proceeded to announce that by order of Mr. McMahon, Kofi Kingston has been disqualified for illegal use of the Intercontinental Title. Therefore, the decision was reversed and “The Chosen One” once again walks out with gold.
Winner and STILL Intercontinental Champion (DQ): Drew McIntyre
**3/4, 76% Overall Rating

Unsanctioned Match: Bryan Danielson vs. The Miz
Bryan Danielson has been waiting over ten years for the opportunity to not only compete in WWE, but compete on PPV. Months of animosity with The Miz, Danielson’s NXT Pro, has led to this match. Wowing the crowd with a previously unseen variety of strikes and grapples, Danielson showed the world what he had stored up inside of him all along. With Miz grounded face down in the center of the ring, Danielson locked both arms and then bridged over the top, leaving Miz trapped in an excruciating double chickenwing. It was either tap or snap, and Miz elected to tap. Bryan Danielson got the victory as the crowd went wild. All the while, Michael Cole couldn’t believe that The Miz lost to a man who was not even a contracted WWE Superstar.
Winner: Bryan Danielson
***1/4, 80% Overall Rating

Rey Mysterio’s Mask on the Line: CM Punk vs. Rey Mysterio
CM Punk and Rey Mysterio have been immersed in one of the most bitter and memorable rivalries in recent memory, with this being the fourth straight PPV telecast they’ve competed on. As per usual, these two put on an absolute clinic loads with near falls in both directions and leaving the fans on the edge of their seats waiting to see if they would catch a glimpse of Rey Mysterio’s unmasked face. Punk hoisted Rey up for the GTS, but when he flung Rey upwards, Rey landed on his feet before sweeping Punk throat-first into the middle rope. Rey connected with the 6-1-9 and the West Coast Pop to remain a masked man.
Winner: Rey Mysterio
****, 87% Overall Rating

United States Title Tournament Finals: R-Truth vs. Ted DiBiase
R-Truth already held one PPV victory over DiBiase, and appeared to have the advantage of extra rest on this night. Both men showed how badly they wanted the United States championship – but when push came to shove, its pretty clear that DiBiase may have more resources. After kicking out of Dream Street, DiBiase argued with referee John Cone. While the distraction took place, NXT Rookie Michael Tarver snuck into the ring and connected with a right hand to R-Truth. DiBiase then picked up the helpless R-Truth and landed another Dream Street, and three seconds later he was awarded the United States title. Why did Michael Tarver help DiBiase? We’ll hopefully find out soon enough.
Winner and NEW United States Champion: Ted DiBiase
***, 79% Overall Rating

World Heavyweight Title Fatal Four Way: Undertaker vs. Kane vs. Big Show vs. Jack Swagger (C)
Going into this match, few thought “The All-American American” had any chance of walking out with his title. Not only were the odds stacked against him, but he had three giants to contend with. Swagger played it perfectly, picking and choosing his spots. However, offense was hard to come by without the larger superstars shrugging him off and dishing out offense of their own. With Jack Swagger looming outside the ring: Kane, Undertaker, and Big Show all had their hands wrapped each other’s throats attempting to chokeslam one another.

Show kicked Undertaker in the stomach, catching Kane by enough surprise to land a huge Chokeslam. Undertaker retaliated by punching Big Show and then stunning the WWE Universe by delivering the World’s Largest Tombstone Piledriver to the 500 pounder. From behind, Swagger hopped in and shoved Undertaker out of the ring through the ropes. Swagger immediately covered the downed Big Show for a shocking title retention.
Winner and STILL World Heavyweight Champion: Jack Swagger
***, 83% Overall Rating

WWE Title Fatal Four Way: Sheamus vs. Edge vs. Randy Orton vs. John Cena (C)
Having just witnessed a crazy World Heavyweight Title match, all four of these men surely realized how quickly their hopes and dreams of becoming WWE Champion can come to an end. The crowd was on the edge of their seats throughout this contest as all four Superstars broke out all of their signature maneuvers. There were at least a dozen near falls that would be barely broken up at the count of two by other participants of the match.

With Edge and Sheamus downed in the ring, Orton attempted an RKO on Cena. Cena blocked it and sent Orton into the ropes, and then hoisting him up for an Attitude Adjustment to the outside the ring. Cena turned around and ducked a Bicycle Kick from a recovered Sheamus, and then attempted another Attitude Adjustment. Sheamus rolled out of it and then picked Cena up for a crucifix powerbomb. However, before he could hit the move, he was Speared by Edge. Edge covered Sheamus for the three count. The Ultimate Opportunist struck again to win his 5th WWE Title, 10th World Title, and his astounding 30th overall title in WWE.
Winner and NEW WWE Champion: Edge
***, 86% Overall Rating

80% Overall Rating for Fatal Four Way</font>

<font color=goldenrod>Nice, I'd love to see your game posted over there on the Dome. They'd probably dig it.

I'm thinking about using most of the guys you mentioned for NXT Season 2. I don't follow FCW much but I'm basing my decisions on what little I've seen and what I hear about the guys.

Thus far the only Rookie/Pro pairings I've decided on are Eli Cottonwood/Kane and Brett DiBiase/Ted DiBiase. I will also definitely bring along Alex Riley, Joe Hennig, and Kaval. As far as pros go, I'm not too sure yet - I want to get at least one surefire main eventer in there so I'll probably use Edge.

I actually plan on using NXT as a fun "house rule". I plan on continuing to run NXT every 6 months and at the end, the winner receives the title shot although all 8 wind up free agents to help fill out the main roster. As such, once a new NXT season starts up I have to continually replenish FCW and prepare to future endeavor some people once my main roster becomes overcrowded. I'll treat it like the minor leagues, and as a term of condition that every year I MUST wind up calling up at least 16 new people from NXT (along with anyone else I may call up).</font>

OCTOBER 25, 2004 - MONDAY NIGHT RAW

It's the last RAW of October, just three weeks away from the Survivor Series. Tonight, a new team is announced, an old rivalry ends, two titles are on the line, and more rivalries than you can shake a stick at!

We open with an unusual singles match, as the hated Randy Orton takes on the equally hated Damien. Last week, Damien inadvertantly cost himself and Orton a tag match against the World's Greatest Tag Team, and Orton looks for revenge against the rookie monster tonight! Good solid match that the crowd doesn't even seem to mind (even though they usually shit on heel-heel matches). Eventually, Damien sends Orton off the ropes and - unbeknownst to the referee - Shelton Benjamin blasts Orton with a steel chair to send Orton into a Damien roll-up for the three-count. After the match, Benjamin hops into the ring and - ignoring his former rival Damien - pounds on Orton for the weeks of attacks Orton has perpetrated against him. Eventually, Benjamin walks away, leaving his rival out cold.

Up next is a six-man tag match I fucked up while booking. It was supposed to be A-Train, Big Show, and Payne representing their Survivor Series team against NBM members Palumbo, Stamboli, and Jindrak, except I accidentally clicked Kane instead of Payne because I'm so in the habit of putting him in matches with Show. So, even though he's selling the attacks from NBM that put his "future in jeopardy" a couple of weeks ago, he's in there banging. Crap. I'm an idiot. Jindrak hits Splash Mountain on Train after Sean O'Haire interferes.

Afterwards, O'Haire grabs a microphone and continues the assault, this time verbally. He talks about how Train was supposed to be a walk in the park after he "won" the #1 contender tournament, but he's proven to be a thorn in his side. And the more he thinks about it, the more he understands it. Everyone has that one rival that for whatever reason - despite not being on the same level - they just can't seem to shake. Superman had Lex Luthor, an alien god against a bald guy in an office. Hulk Hogan had Paul Orndorff. And now Sean O'Haire has A-Train. Well, in the end, Superman always saves the day, Hogan always won the feud, and Sean O'Haire is going to finally derail the A-Train. But I'm not telling you anything you didn't already know.

The Rock and Undertaker, two of the biggest stars of the last fifteen years, battle it out. Well, not so much a battle. Punches, slam, full nelson slam, DVD, and Rock Bottom, and The Rock wins a squash that gets a 71% match quality? This game is weird...

The Women's Title is on the line next in a triple-threat match as Trish Stratus defends against Mickie James and Jazz (who feels she was screwed by Trish in a contender's match that Trish was officiating. It's a good match, though Mickie seemed to phone it in a bit. Trish winds up hitting the Stratusphere on Jazz to retain.

Earlier tonight, Shelton Benjamin interjected himself in Randy Orton's business. Tonight, he teams with his longtime partner Charlie Haas to take on Elite members Brock Lesnar and Jeff Hardy. Can he put his issues with Orton behind him? Not easily, because Orton returns the favor by hitting SHelton with a chair to allow Lesnar to roll him up. After the match, Orton joins Lesnar and Hardy in beating WGTT down.

"Here come the moneeeeeeeeeeeeeey..." The crowd goes nuts as Shane McMahon makes his way to the ring. He talks a bit about his ongoing feud with Eric Bischoff, but his primary reason for being out there is to introduce the next Survivor Series team. Rey Mysterio's music hits, which leads to another big reaction. Rey leads his team to the ring, including The Hurricane, Jamie Noble, Chavo Guerrero, and Nova. What an exciting collection of cruiserweights. These are Reyes de Lucha Libre (Kings of Wrestling)!

ECW alumni Rhyno and Tajiri come out next for what promised to be a brutal encounter, and more than lived up to it! One of the best matches either man has put on in a long time, but unfortunately we don't get a clean finish. Rhyno blasts Tajiri with the Gore and looks to be about to pick up the win when the World Champion Chris Jericho hits the ring and locks him in the Walls of Jericho. The referee calls for the bell, but Jericho and Tajiri continue the beating until John Cena hits the ring to clear them out and make the save.

Cena remains in the ring after the break, because he's got a match with Christian next. Tajiri gets some revenge while the ref's back is turn, blasting Cena with the Kick of Death allowing Christian to get the cheap win. After the match, it's once again two-on-one, but Eddie Guerrero gets a turn to make the save, driving off the heels.

Finally, our Trinity Of Interference comes to an end as Eddie takes on Jericho. Eddie takes Jericho down with a big kick and looks about to pick up a big non-title win with the frogsplash, but Christian hits the Unprettier to result in the DQ. After the match, Vitamin C go to work on Eddie until Rhyno comes out to even the score once again.

Our main event is a Ladder Match for the United States Title! Since Rob Van Dam and Chris Benoit pulled off a lot of ladder-related moves, I'll let the game tell you how the match went: Flying elbow by Rob Van Dam from the top of the ladder. Super kick by Rob Van Dam. Chris Benoit powers out of a Rob Van Dam headlock. Benoit drives a forearm into the chest of RVD. Stun Gun from Chris Benoit! There used to be this blonde guy in WCW in the early 90's who used that...i wonder what happened to him? Face-first suplex onto the ladder from Benoit. Benoit drives a thrust kick into the chest of RVD. RVD backdrops Chris Benoit out of a piledriver attempt. Lightning kick by RVD on Benoit. Benoit walks into a face crusher variation. Rob Van Dam hits a rolling kick on Benoit. RVD hits a face jam on Chris Benoit onto the ladder. Benoit drops out the back of a Rob Van Dam bodyslam attempt. Gut buster, RVD hits hard. Chris Benoit nearly kills RVD with a released tiger suplex. Chris Benoit floors Rob Van Dam. Here it comes...Crippler Crossface! Rob Van Dam is almost unconscious with pain! Chris Benoit goes up ladder and grabs the prize for the win. Chris Benoit climbs each turnbuckle in turn, working the crowd as he celebrates his victory.

:lol:

<font color=goldenrod>A bit of a lengthier Raw write-up than I'm accustomed to, but I have a shitload of storyline development plus a bunch of big announcements from the new GM. I've borrowed (and am slightly altering) an idea that I remember Loopydate using a few years ago. The next few weeks should be fun to book.

---

WWE Raw – June 21, 2010
New Sheriff in Town

To say this episode of Raw was monumental might be an understatement. A familiar face has shocked the WWE Universe by returning in the role of Raw General Manager. Not only did he make some major announcements for the next several months, but this show also set up participants for some major matches at the next PPV telecast, as well as the return of an iconic WWE Superstar.

Shawn Michaels introduced as Raw General Manager, Huge Announcements Made
About three months after being retired as an in-ring competitor by The Undertaker, the Heartbreak Kid made his return to television. He told the fans that he had been on the shortlist of candidates for the GM job for a couple of months now, and when he was offered the position he simply couldn’t decline. Although he stressed that his in-ring career was finished, the era of Shawn Michaels as GM will be a wild ride, starting with some major announcements tonight. He had spent the past week conversing with SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long, they’ve listened to the fans - and as such they have come up with some new ideas.

First off, after the overwhelming popularity of the Money in the Bank match – the decision has been made to give it its own PPV on July 18th. Raw and SmackDown will hold their own 6-man MITB ladder matches, and in turn, there will now be two men that hold the honor of being “Mr. Money in the Bank”. With 2 MITB briefcases running around, who knows what sort of chaos will break out? Qualifying matches will take place this week, and in an effort to ensure some fresh faces are involved, no current champions will be allowed to qualify.

And secondly, with the overwhelming popularity of concepts such as the Fatal Four Way PPV, the recently-concluded United States Title Tournament, the keeping of W/L records in NXT, AND the global popularity of the ongoing World Cup, a new concept is being introduced starting next week. The WWE World Cup – 32 men, 16 per brand will compete with the winner being crowned at this year’s Summerslam in August. The winner will receive a brand new championship – the WWE Television Championship.

Much like the Unified Tag Team Champions, the Television Champion will hold the right to compete on both Raw and SmackDown. However, the belt comes with a stipulation. The Television Champion will be forced to defend his gold on every Raw, SmackDown, and PPV until he loses the belt. This prestigious honor can only be held by a true fighting champion. More details on the inaugural WWE World Cup will be posted on WWE.com in the very near future.

Raw Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Justin Gabriel def. Wade Barrett (DQ)
With the NXT competition over, all of the participants were free to sign wherever they wanted. Raw was fortunate enough to sign the two finalists, who had a re-match from last week’s NXT Finale. Barrett couldn’t seem to put Gabriel away, so he pulled a trick out of fellow Englishman William Regal’s book and waffled Gabriel with a pair of brass knuckles that were stored in his trunks. However, referee Jack Doan noticed and proceeded to disqualify the NXT winner, much to his chagrin. Justin Gabriel qualifies.

Raw Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: The Miz def. Goldust
The Miz seemed to be a bit angrier than usual, his typical smugness replaced with disdain. This extra tenacity showed in this contest. As per usual, the veteran Goldust was no walk in the park, but a slight misstep led to his undoing, as Miz picked up the victory and the MITB qualification following a Skull Crushing Finale.

Confrontation between The Miz and Bryan Danielson
Following the win, The Miz seemed to get his sly smile back. However, before he could rattle off on the microphone, he was cut off by Bryan Danielson. Danielson informed The Miz that for four months he’s been wanting to kick his head in and force him to tap out to the “Cattle Mutilation”, and last night he did just that. He’s accomplished what he wanted to, and now he’s ready to move on from The Miz and go to the next stage of his career. Danielson then announced that with the NXT rookies now being free agents, he will be signing with SmackDown. Danielson then left, leaving an image of The Miz tapping out on the Titan Tron.

Raw Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Evan Bourne def. Primo
MITB appears to be a match tailor-made for somebody like Evan Bourne, and in just a few weeks he will get the chance. Primo has been down on his luck recently, and despite a solid showing it still was not enough to ground the high flyer. Evan Bourne qualifies following the awe-inspiring Shooting Star Press.

The Cutting Edge with special guest John Cena, WWE Title Match set for Money in the Bank
New WWE Champion Edge had no problems inviting former John Cena onto his show to mock him incessantly over what happened the previous night. Cena congratulated the Ultimate Opportunist, but also reminded Edge of two things. 1) Cena did not take the defeat, and 2) Cena has a guaranteed re-match clause. Much verbal sparring took place between the two men, before they both agreed to face each other at Money in the Bank for the WWE Title, followed by an uneasy handshake.

Raw Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Zack Ryder def. R-Truth
In what many would deem an upset, Zack Ryder has picked up his first victory on Raw over the fan-favorite R-Truth. R-Truth fought back from a good start from Ryder, and appeared to be on the brink of victory. However, United States champion Ted DiBiase emerged and distracted the referee from the apron. Then from the crowd emerged Michael Tarver, who landed another right hand on R-Truth. Ryder picked up the pieces and delivered a Zack Attack, advancing to MITB three seconds later.

Mark Henry Shocks the WWE Universe
Following the contest, it appeared as though Ted DiBiase and Michael Tarver were going to continure their assault on R-Truth before being run off by The World’s Strongest Man Mark Henry. Henry helped Truth to his feet, only to inexplicably clothesline him. Henry picked up a helpless R-Truth and delivered a World’s Strongest Slam before leaving with DiBiase and Tarver. What’s the meaning of this?

Raw Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: John Morrison def. Chris Jericho
These two men never fail to put on a show, and tonight was no exception. Either superstar seemed like they would be a perfect fit for the MITB style. This was an extremely close match with no one superstar gaining an advantage. About 15 minutes in, Morrison avoids a Codebreaker, leaving Jericho to land flat on his back. Morrison hits the Starship Pain for the victory to qualify.

Unified Tag Team Title Match set for Money in the Bank
As Chris Jericho argued with referee Charles Robinson over a supposed fast count, Wade Barrett came out. While he agreed that both of them were screwed out of their rightful spots in Raw’s MITB – Barrett holds a sort of Money in the Bank on his own. By winning NXT, Barrett is allowed a title match of his choosing at a WWE PPV. Since Barrett feels Jericho was a great mentor, it would be his honor to tag with him against The Hart Dynasty in a Unified Tag Team Title Match at Money in the Bank. Jericho clearly liked the idea, and shook Barrett’s hand. He has taught him well.

Raw Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Randy Orton def. Sheamus
With five slots in the MITB Ladder Match, these two men who came up on the short end of the stick last night had a chance at redeeming themselves. After staving off Orton’s early attacks, Sheamus battled back and appeared to be in line to connect with a Bicycle Kick. Just then, the familiar sound of Motorhead filled the arena as the crowd got on their feet. Out from the back emerged “The Game” Triple H after a lengthy absence. Triple H stared at a shocked Sheamus from the rampway, and when he turned around, he walked right into the RKO. Randy Orton qualifies for MITB, and Triple H has gotten back Sheamus for putting him on the shelf. What will happen as a result of all of this? Tune in next week!</font>

OCTOBER 29, 2004 - SMACKDOWN!

October goes out with a bang tonight on SmackDown! The Rock and Matt Hardy Version 2.0 finally put their feud to rest tonight inside Hell In A Cell! Plus, Eddie Guerrero versus Brock Lesnar, fallout from last week's battle royal, and Eric Bischoff introduces another Survivor Series team!

We open up with battle royal fallout as Mark Henry looks to avenge his humiliating elimination last week as he takes on Zach Gowan. And avenge he does, as he puts the one-legged youngster away with the World's Strongest Slam. After the match, Henry grabs a chair and blasts Gowan with it to further drive home the point that last week was a fluke.

We get a special videotaped message from A-Train next, hyping his match on RAW next week against Sean O'Haire. Most of the big feuds in WWE have been wrapping up lately, and Train is ready to finally do the same against O'Haire.

Two of the most impressive performers in last week's battle royal were Funaki and Test, and tonight they go one-on-one in the hopes of continuing their momentum. Funaki manages to get some martial arts strikes in, but Test uses his size advantage to eventually pick up the win with his running big boot.

"I'm ba-ack!" WWE Chairman Eric Bischoff makes his way to the ring. He hypes the announcement later on of another Survivor Series match, then announces that tonight we will see a match-up pitting Elite members John Cena and Jeff Hardy against each other. And, because he's running the company and he can do whatever the hell he pleases now... the loser of that match has to leave the Elite. "Why? Why the hell not!"

Last week, Dave Batista and John Layfield beat the living hell out of Aaron "The Idol" Stevens, an assault that may have ended Stevens' career. Tonight, Stevens' mentor The Hurricane looks for revenge against Layfield. Hurricane looks about to put Layfield away with the Shining Wizard, but "Nature Boy" Dave Batista hits the ring to save his frequent partner and htis the Batista Bomb. After the match, the heels look to double-team WWE's resident superhero, but Hurricane's SS partner Nova hits the ring to make the save.

World Champion Chris Jericho makes his way to the ring for his tag match tonight, but first he cuts a promo on Rhyno. He's got to hand it to the Manbeast. There's no reason he should be as much of a challenge as he's been. He's never been anything more than a guy full of potential who was going to be a future World Champion. Only problem is, going to be can only get you so far. You see, Chris Jericho is the World Champion. And after RAW, he's going to be the World Champion.

Last week, the team of Brian Kendrick and Paul London picked up an improbable victory over former Tag Team Champions the Metro Connection. Tonight, they take on Elite members Canadian Violence as a true test of their skills. The youngsters are talented and exciting, but unfortunately, Benoit and Jericho just have too much experience. Eventually, they lock Kendrick in their Crossface/Walls combination forcing him to tap out.

Eddie Guerrero and Brock Lesnar at one time had one of the most brutal feuds in WWE. Tonight, they revisit their rivalry as they both gear up for their upcoming Survivor Series matches (neither of which has been announced, but come on, you know they're going to be involved) in a singles match. It's a good match, not as good as some of their matches from earlier this year, but very solid. Late in the match, after Eddie hits a big DDT, Christian hits the ring looking to cost his rival the match, but Eddie ducks a clothesline, and he takes out Lesnar instead! Eddie sends Xian to the floor, then capitalizes on Lesnar being down with the Frogsplash! After the match, Christian hits the ring to attack Eddie, but Rey Mysterio comes out to make the save and drive off his rival Lesnar.

Once again, Bischoff heads to the ring, and he announces that Reyes de Lucha Libre will be taking on the Next Big Things at Survivor Series, a team made up of Lesnar, Cruiserweight Champion Tajiri, "Nature Boy" Dave Batista, and the World Tag Team Champions the Hardy Boyz! The team assembles on the ramp and stares Mysterio down.

And now for the match Bischoff announced earlier - John Cena versus Jeff Hardy, loser leaves the Elite! Cena looks about to put Jeff away with the F-U, but suddenly Tajiri grabs Cena's ankle from ringside and pulls him to the floor. The referee calls for the bell, and Jeff Hardy is furious! Tajiri doesn't care as he slams Cena into the ringpost, then smashes him twice with a chair, then hits a drop toehold onto the chair, leaving Cena a bloody mess, but still a member of the Elite!

And now for our main event! It's short, but exciting, and the crowd absolutely loves it. Rock hits a slam, a spinning neckbreaker, and a big clothesline, but Matt fights back with a spinning bulldog. Rock ducks a clothesline and hits a spear and a DVD. Matt dodges an avalanche then hits a leg lariat, only to get backdropped and take the Rock Bottom! Rock retains inside the Cell! After the match, he poses on the turnbuckles with the belt as SmackDown! goes off the air.

WWE has come to terms for the releases of RAW superstar Lance Cade and SmackDown! superstar Aaron Stevens. We wish both men the best in their future endeavors.

Several new stars are on the verge of being called up from Ohio Valley Wrestling in the month of November, so the lead-in to Survivor Series will feature some exciting new talent! Plus, on RAW this week both the Train/O'Haire and Rhyno/Jericho feuds will end, and on SmackDown! we'll see the last encounter between John Cena and Tajiri!

<font color=goldenrod>No NXT this week as a recap show is aired. NXT Season 2 begins the first Tuesday of July so as to allow the participants the benefit of the end-of-month stat upgrades. In the meantime, this'll do:

WWE.COM – FORMAT FOR WWE WORLD CUP
Last night on Monday Night Raw, new Raw General Manager Shawn Michaels announced the introduction of a new concept – the WWE World Cup. Drawn from the ongoing FIFA World Cup, the WWE World Cup involves both brands as well as recently executed ideas that have been praised by fans (tournaments, chaotic fatal four ways, and keeping track of win-loss records as is done in NXT) all rolled into one.

After an in-depth interview with Shawn Michaels and Theodore Long, we here at WWE.com are happy to report that we’ve learned the rules of the WWE World Cup:

1. 16 superstars from Raw and 16 superstars from SmackDown have been selected. The 16 Raw superstars have been randomly drawn into groups of 4, same with the SmackDown superstars.

2. Throughout a six week span (June 28th-August 6th), the participants will compete in a round robin series of matches against the other members of their group. The two superstars with the best win-loss record in each group after this time period advance to the second stage of the Cup.

3. On the August 9th edition of Raw and August 13th edition of SmackDown, the second stage will be conducted. The surviving participants from Groups A/B and C/D on each show will compete in Fatal Four Way matchups. The four winners will advance to stage three of the Cup.

4. At Summerslam on August 15th, the two advancing participants from Raw and the two advancing participants from SmackDown will compete in two singles matches early in the evening. The two winners advance to the fourth and final stage of the Cup.

5. The two winners meet one-on-one, with the winner of that match being declared the winner of the first-ever WWE World Cup. In addition, the winner will be declared the first ever WWE Television Champion, and will earn the right to appear on both shows and be required to defend the gold on each Raw, SmackDown, and PPV telecast until they are no longer champion.

As if this wasn’t exciting enough, we have acquired an exclusive sneak peak of the randomly drawn groupings. The WWE World Cup is sure to change the scope of WWE as we know it! You don’t want to miss it!</font>

<font color=red>Raw Group A
Chris Jericho
Goldust
Wade Barrett
Yoshi Tatsu

Raw Group B
Evan Bourne
John Morrison
Tyson Kidd
Zack Ryder

Raw Group C
Justin Gabriel
R-Truth
Santino Marella
The Miz

Raw Group D
David Hart Smith
Ted DiBiase
The Great Khali
William Regal</font>

<font color=blue>SmackDown Group A
Drew McIntyre
Matt Hardy
Rey Mysterio
Vance Archer

SmackDown Group B
CM Punk
Curt Hawkins
JTG
Kofi Kingston

SmackDown Group C
Chavo Guerrero
Christian
MVP
Shad Gaspard

SmackDown Group D
Bryan Danielson
Cody Rhodes
Dolph Ziggler
Finlay</font>

<font color=goldenrod><b><u>WWE Superstars - June 24, 2010</u>
Uncommon</b>

Two SmackDown superstars avenge losses from last week, the Raw divas are in action, and a certain Raw superstar can’t seem to keep his mouth shut on this week’s WWE Superstars.

William Regal def. Santino Marella
The always entertaining Santino Marella was sure to make some inflammatory remarks towards the veteran William Regal, and that certainly didn’t help his cause. Regal pulverized Marella with a series of stiff punches and knee strikes before making him tap out wildly to the Regal Stretch in short order.

Natalya & The Bella Twins def. Maryse, Alicia Fox, and Jillian Hall
The second-generation diva Natalya continues to make her case for a shot at the Divas Title with another victory. Although her partners helped out, Natalya worked the bulk of the match and ultimately forced Alicia Fox to tap out to a Sharpshooter. Maryse will certainly have to face Natalya sooner rather than later.

Shad Gaspard def. Heath Slater
“The One Man Rock Band” Heath Slater made his debut as a member of the SmackDown roster, having freshly signed after the completion of NXT Season 1. However, his debut didn’t quite go as planned. Fueled by anger from his loss to MVP on last week’s SmackDown, Shad was able to ward off a good debut by Slater and pick up the victory after a GTO.

Cody Rhodes def. Matt Hardy
Much like Shad, “The Uncommon Man” was eager to wash away the stain of defeat from SmackDown last week. Matt Hardy presented a very formidable challenge, and the two engaged in one of the best matches we’ve seen on WWE Superstars in quite some time. Hardy set up for a Twist of Fate but Rhodes was able to fight out of it and get Hardy in place for the Cross Rhodes. He hit the maneuver and picked up the win. Things are looking up for Cody Rhodes.

---

I mean it when I say that Hardy/Rhodes was a great match. It was like 89% Match Quality and a **** rating. Love it when matches surprise me like that.</font>

<font color=goldenrod>WWE SmackDown – June 25, 2010
The Fire Burns

Two momentous matches from the blue brand have already been set for the forthcoming Money in the Bank PPV – the SmackDown MITB match itself as well as a wild World Heavyweight Title match. In addition, one of the most intense feuds in recent history appears to be continuing.

Jack Swagger gloats, Theodore Long informs him of his next challengers
World Heavyweight Champion Jack Swagger was deservedly boastful about his victory over three giants at Fatal Four Way. General Manager Theodore Long eventually got sick of Swagger’s endless self-promotion, and decided to book a match. Since Swagger claims to be such a fighting champion, he should have no problem giving a title shot to the two men he DIDN’T pin at Fatal Four Way – Undertaker and Kane! Therefore, at the Money in the Bank PPV telecast, Swagger will defend his belt in a triple threat match against both Brothers of Destruction. Swagger looked rightfully upset.

SmackDown Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Big Show def. Rey Mysterio
This was a true case of David vs. Goliath as two fan favorites met to determine the first participant in the SmackDown MITB match. With the heart of a champion, Rey attempted to utilize his quickness to tire Show out. Show was down on one knee in the center of the ring, and Rey springboarded from the ropes as he normally does with the West Coast Pop. However, on the way down, he flew right into a brutal knockout punch from Big Show. Three seconds later, and Big Show had qualified. One has to wonder if they even make ladders strong enough to support his weight.

After Big Show had departed, the Straight Edge Society jumped in from the crowd and mugged Mysterio, ending with CM Punk hitting the GTS. Clearly, Punk has been consumed with Mysterio since his defeat on Sunday. Perhaps the book has not been closed on the epic feud these two men have written.

SmackDown Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Drew McIntyre def. Rey Mysterio
Rey Mysterio laid unconscious in the ring after all that had happened. Things got worse for him though, as Intercontinental Champion Drew McIntyre emerged, complete with a note straight from Mr. McMahon. By order of the Chairman, the stipulation that current champions will be ineligible to qualify for MITB does NOT apply to Drew McIntyre. Furthermore, McIntyre holds the right to handpick his opponent for his qualifying match.

McIntyre chose the already defenseless Mysterio, who couldn’t even stand. Referee Chad Patton reluctantly rang the bell, and mere seconds later McIntyre connected with the Future Shock for a disgustingly cheap entry into MITB.

SmackDown Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Bryan Danielson def. Chavo Guerrero
On Raw this past Monday Night, Bryan Danielson announced that he had signed with SmackDown. Chavo Guerrero, granted a qualifying match by his aunt Vickie, was out to spoil his debut. Danielson would have none of that, lighting Guerrero up with grapples and suplexes. Once Danielson locked on the very unique Cattle Mutilation, Chavo had no choice but to tap out as Danielson qualified for MITB.

Women’s Title match set for next week
Consultant Vickie Guerrero returned from a meeting with GM Theodore Long with some very regretful news for Team Lay-Cool. Next week, Layla will once again defend her WWE Women’s Title against “The Glamazon” Beth Phoenix, and this time – Layla will automatically lose the belt if she is counted out or disqualified.

Non-Title Match: Curt Hawkins & Vance Archer def. The Hart Dynasty (DQ)
By virtue of being Unified Tag Team champions, The Hart Dynasty paid a visit to SmackDown to take on the up-and-coming team of Curt Hawkins & Vance Archer. The new tandem was able to hold their own and certainly show that they are worthy contenders for a title match in the future. But before any result could occur, an irate Finlay rushed the ring, shillelagh in hand, and brutalized Hawkins & Archer with it for the disqualification ending. There is certainly still bad blood from what Hawkins & Archer did to Finlay’s son Hornswoggle last week.

SmackDown Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Christian def. Finlay
After the attack, Finlay remained in the ring for a MITB qualifier against Christian. The aggressive Finlay got the early advantage, but Christian was able to kick out several times while utilizing his skills to avoid defeat. Finlay ran into a Pendulum Kick and then a Killswitch. After coming up just short in MITB at WrestleMania, Christian qualified and will get another chance.

SmackDown Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Dolph Ziggler def. MVP
Hot off the heels of a big win against Shad Gaspard on last week’s SmackDown, MVP hoped to carry that momentum into his MITB qualifier. But it was just not to be on this night, as Dolph Ziggler brought his A-game. After ducking under MVP to avoid a Playmaker, Ziggler connected with the Zig Zag to qualify. After the bout, Shad Gaspard hit the ring and attacked MVP, planting him with a GTO to send a message.

SmackDown Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Kofi Kingston def. CM Punk
The final slot in SmackDown’s MITB would come as a result of a match between two men who at one time were tag team partners. The Straight Edge Society attempted to make nuisances of themselves at ringside, but Kingston kept his eye on the ball. The crowd got on their feet when a battered Rey Mysterio ran out and tried to fight off both Luke Gallows and Joey Mercury on his own. The fact that Rey could even stand was enough to shock Punk, who unlike Kingston, DID take his eye off the ball – and as a result received a Trouble in Paradise as Kingston qualified. Money in the Bank is already shaping up to be one hell of a show!</font>

<font color=goldenrod>WWE Raw – June 28, 2010
Game Restarted?

Another week, another action-packed edition of Monday Night Raw. A future Hall of Famer appears to be looming closer to his return to the ring, the first-ever WWE World Cup got underway, and the superstars of Raw are preparing for the Money in the Bank PPV on July 18th.

Main Event booked, Shawn Michaels and Triple H cross paths
To kick off the show, new Raw GM Shawn Michaels announced a huge main event here for tonight – “The Celtic Warrior” Sheamus will go one-on-one with the number one contender for the WWE title, John Cena. Triple H, one week after his shocking return, walked into Michaels’ office and quickly embraced his longtime friend. He said that although he’s not quite ready to return to the ring, he plans on getting his hands on Sheamus in the very near future.

WWE World Cup – Raw Group C: R-Truth (1-0) def. Santino Marella (0-1)
Two of Raw’s more entertaining superstars kicked off the inaugural WWE World Cup. Clearly fired up after having been cheated out of a spot in the Raw MITB last week, R-Truth showed some serious fire, picking up the win in short order following the Lie Detector to get his World Cup off on the right foot.

Ted DiBiase has a message for R-Truth
Following R-Truth’s victory, United States champion Ted DiBiase emerged on the ramp, flanked by Michael Tarver and Mark Henry. DiBiase felt that if he couldn’t be in MITB, neither should a low-class lowlife like R-Truth. Although Virgil betrayed him, he has so much money that he can simply hire not one but TWO associates. With these two men by his side, DiBiase will hold onto the United States title for a long time.

WWE World Cup – Raw Group A: Chris Jericho (1-0) def. Yoshi Tatsu (0-1)
Prior to this bout, Jericho (accompanied by his former NXT rookie Wade Barrett, assigned to the same group) vowed that by the end of this World Cup, they would be Unified Tag Team champions and one of them would be Television champion. Jericho’s claims look to be justified, as he got a World Cup victory over a game Yoshi Tatsu following a Codebreaker. After the bout, Wade Barrett made a statement of his own by planting Tatsu with a forward fireman’s carry slam.

Zack Ryder & The Miz def. Evan Bourne & Justin Gabriel
All four of these men will be participating in the WWE World Cup as well as the Raw MITB match, but tonight they were in tag team action. Bourne and Gabriel presented one of the fastest duos we’ve seen in some time, but their high risk nature may have caught them. With Miz on the ground in his own corner, Zack Ryder made a blind tag. Bourne landed a Shooting Star Press on Miz and Gabriel tried a 450, but Ryder pulled Miz out of the way. Ryder hit the wounded Gabriel with a Zack Attack to get the win.

WWE World Cup – Raw Group B: John Morrison (1-0) def. Tyson Kidd (0-1)
Simply put, this was a classic between two guys who went all out to win the WWE World Cup. Kidd locked Morrison in a Sharpshooter, but the MITB participant was able to get to the ropes and ultimately battle back and connect with a Moonlight Drive to pick up the win. The two men showed mutual respect with a handshake after the bout.

The Cutting Edge with special guest Randy Orton
The Cutting Edge never seems to be short of controversy, and tonight was no exception as for the second week in a row, WWE champion Edge interviewed a nemesis of his only to have it turn into verbal sparring. “The Viper” swore that he would win the Raw MITB, and cautioned Edge that if he retains his title, he can receive an RKO at any moment’s notice to lose the belt. Orton feigned an RKO attempt that sent a paranoid Edge jumping out of the ring.

WWE World Cup – Raw Group D: David Hart Smith (1-0) def. The Great Khali (0-1)
David Hart Smith is no small man, and yet he seemed diminutive compared to The Great Khali, who was competing in his first match in months. Smith smartly worked on Khali’s knees, attempting to get the big man off his feet. Once Khali was grounded, Smith locked on a Dragon Sleeper and Khali tapped out, giving Smith an extremely impressive victory to start his World Cup.

Number One Contender’s Match: Natalya def. Gail Kim
For weeks its been looking like Natalya is on the verge of cementing herself as the next challenge for the WWE Divas title. On Raw, she made it official with a hard-fought victory over Gail Kim. With Divas champion Maryse watching from the ringside announce table, Natalya got the win after an intense spinning powerbomb.

John Cena def. Sheamus (DQ)
John Cena and Sheamus have been consistent rivals ever since Sheamus came to Raw, and tonight marked another chapter in that rivalry. Both men know each other very well, and countered each others moves on more than one occasion. Cena sidestepped a Bicycle Kick and lifted “The Celtic Warrior” up for an Attitude Adjustment, only to receive a huge Spear from an interfering Edge! Looking to make a statement, Edge continued to assault Cena with Sheamus joining in, until Triple H rushed out wielding a sledgehammer! Edge and Sheamus smartly vacated the ring, as Triple H pointed his hammer in Sheamus’ general direction. With emotions spilling over on Raw, where will this lead to next week?</font>

<font color=goldenrod>WWE have sort of stolen my thunder. 6 rookies and 2 pros that I had planned on using for my NXT Season 2 were also selected to be in the REAL NXT Season 2. Funny how that worked out. At least I didn't give some of them really horrific names! Also chose to scrap using Brett DiBiase cause I figured I'll honor the real-life injuries (except for Beth, cause the SD women's division is bad enough as it is).

WWE NXT – June 29, 2010
Season 2 Cast Revealed

We are just one week away from the beginning of NXT Season 2. Tonight was meant to be a little preview for what’s in store next week. The Raw Pros would square off in singles action against the SmackDown Pros, and each Pro would tell us a little bit about their NXT rookie. If tonight was any indication, we can expect NXT Season 2 to be one wild ride.

Non-Title Match: Kane def. Ted DiBiase
The United States champion reiterated that everybody has a price – hence why he was able to fork over the cash necessary to ensure that he was assigned a one-of-a-kind rookie. His rookie has wrestled all over the world, won numerous championships, and is a martial arts expert. His rookie is Kaval.

After a burst of flames, Kane emerged from the back. He may not be your conventional WWE Pro, but neither is his rookie. Recently reintroduced to society from the Kelloggs Sanitarium, his rookie is Eli Cottonwood.

Kane was in the mood to lay a beating on someone tonight, and on occasion he tossed DiBiase around like a ragdoll. Kane connected with a Big Boot and geared up for a Chokeslam, prompting NXT Season 1 alumni Michael Tarver and Mark Henry to climb the apron on opposite sides. This distracted Kane long enough for DiBiase to regain his composure and jump out of the ring, choosing to live to fight another day. Kane wins via count out.

Sheamus def. Finlay
Who better to have as your mentor than the Belfast Brawler? Finlay vowed to impart all of the knowledge he’s gained in his 30-plus year career to his promising young rookie. At 6’6” and 250 lbs, his has the physical tools to succeed with the proper guidance. His rookie is Johnny Prime.

Sheamus quipped that despite being in WWE for less than a year, he has already accomplished more than Finlay has in 30 AND is the true face of Irish wrestling. His rookie is a mountain of a man, and if he heeds Sheamus’ advice, he may very well reach the top just as quickly as his mentor did. His rookie is Titus O’Neill.

This was the sort of brawl that you would expect to see in a bar in Ireland. Both men slugged each other profusely, with each shot seemingly increasing in stiffness. Finlay went for a Celtic Cross but Sheamus countered with an elbow to the gut. A stunned Finlay was then easy pray for an Irish Curse as Sheamus got the impressive victory.

John Morrison def. MVP
“The Monday Night Delight” feels he has a distinct advantage with his rookie. His rookie already has wrestling in his bloodlines, and Morrison can teach him the nuances of wrestling in WWE. The son of Mr. Perfect, his rookie is Joe Hennig.

MVP hasn’t forgotten how he was scratched from the initial Pro lineup for NXT Season 1. He fully intends on making up for that by making sure his rookie becomes WWE’s next breakout star. Hailing from Honolulu, his rookie already has the flashy nickname of “The Polynesian Prince”. His rookie is Donny Marlow.

John Morrison continues to deliver one fantastic match after another. He bounced back after a lengthy bout against Tyson Kidd on Raw last night to put on another thriller against MVP. Plenty of near falls and false finishes had the crowd antsy. MVP put Morrison in position for the Playmaker, only for Morrison to counter with an inside cradle for the three count. Both men shook hands and embraced after as a sign of respect. Both of their rookies will be very fortunate to have them as Pros.

Non-Title Match: Jack Swagger def. Goldust
The World Heavyweight champion considers himself to be a perfect mentor. He has racked up countless accomplishments both athletically and academically. It takes extreme intelligence to reach your potential, and he is proud to announce that his rookie has just that. His rookie is Alex Riley.

Goldust presents quite the unique person to have a Pro. His experience can’t be denied, nor can his unorthodox style. If his rookie is willing to listen, Goldust can show his appropriately gold-haired rookie so tips that he will never forget. His rookie is Drake Brewer.

As per usual, Goldust put up a great showing – and for some time it appeared as though he would pull off a huge upset against World Heavyweight champion Jack Swagger. However, showing true fortitude, Swagger was able to withstand Goldust’s offensive attack and then counter with one of his own. One Gutwrench Powerbomb later and Swagger was able to tack another one in the win column.

Next week, the NXT Rookies will be making their first appearances in a WWE ring. You don’t want to miss it. WHO WILL BE WWE’S NEXT BREAKOUT STAR?</font>

Good choices, Vito. And thank you for not changing Prime and Joe's names. I like Donny Marlow, too. Well done

<font color=goldenrod>Yeah, NXT seems like it will be fun to book. Kinda funny how it worked out - I had decided on several guys based on gimmick/character potential (Cottonwood, Hennig, Riley), and Kaval cause it's Kaval. The other 4 spots pretty much went to the guys I decided had a "good look" and had the best stats (which is still nothing to write home about, the match qualities might be pretty shitty, but who cares) - and when all was said and done WWE used 6 out of the 8 guys I was gonna use.

I also nearly used Percy Watson instead of Drake Brewer, but I wanted to beef up the tag team division asap and since I plan on having all the NXT Rookies "graduate" to the main roster when the show is over, I may just give him a direct call up in the near future to team with Darren Young.</font>

<font color=goldenrod>WWE Superstars – July 1, 2010
Dudes Busted

As always, WWE Superstars provided a large dose of variety. In just one night we saw some exciting tag team action, the Raw divas in action, and two superstars having their debut matches with their respective new brands.

Goldust def. Skip Sheffield
A WWE Pro for NXT Season 2, Goldust was scheduled to face William Regal. However, Regal informed Goldust that he had found a replacement – his NXT Season 1 rookie Skip Sheffield, making his debut as a member of the Raw roster. Sheffield looked tougher than ever, although the occasional mental lapses still seemed to be evident. One misstep is all it took for Goldust to hit a big Curtain Call for the win.

After the bout, Goldust proceeded to shake Sheffield’s hand and congratulate him on a solid outing. After Goldust left, Regal and Vladimir Kozlov jumped Sheffield out of frustration. Goldust ran back into the ring to ward them off, before helping Sheffield to his feet. Goldust claimed that he would have been a better mentor Sheffield than Regal would ever be.

Eve Torres def. Jillian Hall
Just over a month removed from her run as Divas champion, Eve has to be looking to get back into the title picture. She went a long way towards establishing that with a win against the always-irritating Jillian Hall. Eve showed some impressive jiu jitsu skills and forced Jillian to tap out with an impressive armbar. Could this match be a stepping stone for Eve to get back into the title hunt? We’ll see in the coming weeks.

Joey Mercury def. Darren Young
Accompanied by fellow Straight Edge disciples Luke Gallows and Serena, Joey Mercury vowed to make an example of his opponent, new SmackDown signing Darren Young, CM Punk’s rookie in NXT Season 1. Mercury pleaded with Young to join them, and undo the mistakes he’s made in the past, but Young still refused.

If Young’s performance tonight is any indication, then SmackDown have got themselves a great signing. He took Mercury to the limit, and had several nearfalls during the match. Unfortunately for him, the numbers game was just too great, as both Serena and Luke Gallows at ringside were able to distract him as Mercury connected with an enzuiguri to the back of the head for the victory. Luke Gallows jumped in and added a Gallows Pole for good measure.

Christian & Kofi Kingston def. The Dudebusters
Despite not being a regular tag team by any means, Christian and Kingston worked like a well-oiled machine in this bout against the Dudebusters. All four men got equal time in the ring before Christian managed to put Caylen Croft in position for the Killswitch. Trent Barreta attempted to intervene, but was cut off at the past with a Trouble in Paradise from Kingston. Christian then delivered the Killswitch to Croft as the popular duo picked up the win. Both men certainly seem primed and ready for the SmackDown Money in the Bank match as well as the WWE World Cup.</font>

<font color=goldenrod>WWE SmackDown – July 2, 2010
Phenomenal Surprise

Another thrilling Friday night has come and gone on the blue brand. It was quite the eventful night that saw the crowning of a new champion, a new match set for the Money in the Bank PPV, the World Heavyweight champion continuing to be bombarded by his challengers, and the start of the SmackDown portion of the inaugural WWE World Cup.

Theodore Long announces main event
With three episodes of SmackDown left to go before Money in the Bank, General Manager Theodore Long has decided to build up to that match with some big main events. Each of the next three weeks will see the participants in the World Heavyweight title match square off in singles action. Tonight, champion Jack Swagger will face “The Big Red Machine” Kane.

Women’s Title Match: Beth Phoenix def. Layla
For weeks its looked as though “The Glamazon” was destined to win back the Women’s Title that was robbed from her, and on this night the destiny became a reality. Michelle McCool’s efforts to interfere couldn’t save her Team Lay-Cool partner as Phoenix won back her belt in short order with the Glam Slam.

WWE World Cup – SmackDown Group B: CM Punk (1-0) def. JTG (0-1)
CM Punk was last seen losing his spot in the SmackDown MITB match due to interference from Rey Mysterio. Tonight was a chance at redeeming himself to kick off the SmackDown segment of the WWE World Cup. Facing off against JTG is never an easy outing, but Punk showed some extra fire tonight and there was simply no way he was going to be denied. With the Straight Edge Society looking on, the savior connected with the GTS for the win.

CM Punk and Rey Mysterio confront once more, PPV match booked
After his victory, CM Punk addressed Rey Mysterio. Punk stated that he has spent entirely too much time attempting to convert Mysterio, and it has become abundantly clear that he lacks the strength and reserve to be saved. However, he cannot have his last memory of Mysterio be him costing Punk a chance at MITB. So he had one more proposition. They have met one-on-one in the last four PPV events, and they currently have two wins apiece. Punk wants his shot at retribution, and he wants the score to be settled once and for all. Never one to back down from a challenge, Mysterio appeared on the Titan Tron remotely from his home, and he accepted. He wants closure just as badly as Punk does, and at Money in the Bank, he will show once and for all why he is the better man.

WWE World Cup – SmackDown Group C: Shad Gaspard (1-0) def. MVP (0-1)
The last time these two men faced off, MVP came up victorious, leaving Shad Gaspard aghast. They met again tonight with World Cup implications on the line. Shad couldn’t seem to put MVP away, and choked out MVP on the ring ropes until the count of four. While arguing with referee Justin King, a man recognized as NXT Season 1 rookie David “A-List” Otunga dropped MVP’s throat on the ropes. Gaspard took advantage by hitting MVP with a GTO for the victory. Hopefully we will learn about Otunga’s actions in the near future.

Finlay & Big Show def. Curt Hawkins & Vance Archer
With Hornswoggle on the sideline, Finlay was given the option of selecting his own partner to face off against Hawkins & Archer, the men responsible for injuring his son. Certainly, the egotistical new tag team couldn’t have predicted the Finlay would one-up them by selecting “The World’s Largest Athlete”. Show appeared to have a chip on his shoulder as he tried to make a statement before Money in the Bank. He was dominant as per usual, knocking out Archer with a huge right hand and then Chokeslamming Hawkins on top of him for the victory.

Christian hypes up Money in the Bank and World Cup
Captain Charisma was not in action tonight, but he was given a few minutes of interview time backstage. He said this is a great time to be a Peep, because he’ll be winning his World Cup debut match next week and then go on to become SmackDown’s Mr. Money in the Bank. Intercontinental champion Kofi Kingston stopped by to shake Christian’s hand. He thanked Christian for being a good partner on last night’s WWE Superstars, but it will be HIM that achieves all of the accolades, not Christian.

WWE World Cup – SmackDown Group D: Bryan Danielson (1-0) def. Dolph Ziggler (0-1)
Quite simply, Bryan Danielson continues to show why he is ready for the big time of WWE. These two SmackDown MITB participants put on a clinic that saw Danielson continue to apply various holds that have never been seen before in WWE. Danielson once again locked in the Cattle Mutilation, leading to Ziggler tapping out. It may be fitting if the worldwide experience of Bryan Danielson can lead him to a World Cup victory.

WWE World Cup – SmackDown Group A: Drew McIntyre (1-0) def. Matt Hardy (0-1)
The Intercontinental champion seems to have everything handed to him on a silver platter, including cheap entry into MITB last week. But credit must be given where it’s due. Tonight he was on his A-game and he truly earned a hard-fought victory over rival Matt Hardy. McIntyre avoided a Twist of Fate and threw Hardy off his game. McIntyre parlayed that confusion into a Future Shock to get his World Cup off to a good start.

Non-Title Match: Jack Swagger def. Kane
An entertaining styles clash in this bout saw “The All-American American” consistently being overpowered in his attempts to out-wrestle the monster Kane. The crowd got very much into it after a series of nearfalls from both men. Swagger was able to ground Kane and connect with a slingshot splash from the corner, and as the fall was being counted he put his feet on the ropes for extra leverage to get the cheap victory. Swagger grabbed his belt and tried to get out of dodge only for the lights to go out. When they came back on, Undertaker was at ringside, standing right in Swagger’s path. Undertaker delivered a Chokeslam on the outside before staring at his brother in the ring. The Brothers of Destruction will collide next week! You don’t want to miss it.</font>

OCTOBER 2004 RECAP


RAW

(Overall Won-Loss, Season 2 W-L) The Elite (Oct. W-L, Overness) (Matches)
(46-26, 8-5) The Rock (6-2, 99) (W Matt, W 6-man tag, W Matt, L w/Cena vs Violence, W Jeff, L 6-man tag, W UT, W Matt)
(47-28, 7-7) Brock Lesnar (5-5, 97) (W Rey, L 6-man tag, W w/Tajiri vs Cena/Rey, W Rey, L w/Jeff vs Rhyno/Rico, L w/Xian vs Eddie/Rey, W 6-man tag, L three-way tag, W w/Jeff vs WGTT, L Eddie)
(44-30-3, 10-5) Chris Benoit (7-3, 94) (W O'Haire, L w/Y2J vs Rhyno/RVD, W w/Y2J vs Eddie/Rico, L RVD, W w/Y2J vs Cena/Rock, W Rico, L w/Y2J vs Rhyno/RVD, W Rico, W RVD, W w/Y2J vs Londrick)
(43-34, 6-9) John Cena (4-6, 97) (W Orton, W 6-man tag, L w/Rey vs Brock/Tajiri, L Tajiri, L w/Rock vs Violence, L Y2J, W Tajiri, L three-way tag, L Xian, W Jeff)
(37-35-2, 9-5) Chris Jericho (7-3, 96) (W Rhyno, L w/Benoit vs Rhyno/RVD, W w/Benoit vs Eddie/Rico, W Rhyno, W w/Benoit vs Cena/Rock, W Cena, L w/Benoit vs Rhyno/RVD, W three-way tag, L Eddie, W w/Benoit vs Londrick)
(34-34, 5-5) Christian (5-3, 94) (W RVD, L 6-man tag, L Eddie, W Eddie, L w/Brock vs Eddie/Rey, W 6-man tag, W three-way tag, W Cena)
(30-33-1, 7-6) Tajiri (4-4, 91) (L Eddie, W w/Brock vs Cena/Rey, W Cena, W fatal fourway, W London, L Cena, L three-way tag, L Rhyno)
(34-39-1, 7-8) Eddie Guerrero (6-4, 99) (W Tajiri, W 6-man tag, L w/Rico vs Violence, W Xian, L Xian, W w/ Rey vs Lesnar/Xian, L 6-man tag, L three-way tag, W Y2J, W Brock)

(Overall Won-Loss, Season 2 W-L) Upper Midcard (Oct. W-L, Overness) (Matches)
(24-6, 6-2) Damien (2-2, 84) (W Kane, L w/UT vs Show/Kane, L w/Orton vs WGTT, W Orton)
(15-5, 1-2) Mickie James (1-2, 100) (L Trish, W Jazz, L triple threat)
(42-26-1, 2-6) Sean O'Haire (1-4, 74) (L Benoit, L w/Orton vs Train/Shelton, W Train, L fatal fourway, L Train)
(35-25-2, 6-4) Rhyno (4-2, 87) (L Y2J, W w/RVD vs Violence, L Y2J, W w/Rico vs Lesnar/Jeff, W w/RVD vs Violence, W Tajiri)
(36-31-1, 5-5) Rob Van Dam (3-3, 86) (L Xian, W w/Rhyno vs Violence, W Benoit, L fatal fourway, W w/Rhyno vs Violence, L Benoit)
(15-16, 4-6) Randy Orton (1-5, 85) (L Cena, L w/O'Haire vs Train/Shelton, W Shelton, L fatal fourway, L w/Damien vs WGTT, L Damien)
(28-34-1, 2-3) Undertaker (0-2, 66) (L w/Damien vs Show/Kane, L Rock)

(Overall Won-Loss, Season 2 W-L) Midcard (Oct. W-L, Overness) (Matches)
(17-12-1, 3-0) Trish Stratus (2-0, 82) (W Mickie, W triple threat)
(12-9, 0-1) Victoria (0-0, 71) (N/A)
(34-30-1, 4-2) Big Show (1-2, 67) (W w/Kane vs Damien/UT, L w/Payne vs La Res, L 6-man tag)
(1-1, 1-1) Payne (1-1, 61) (W Palumbo, L w/Show vs La Res)
(30-35, 2-7) Shelton Benjamin (2-3, 79) (W w/Train vs Orton/O'Haire, L Orton, L w/Haas vs La Res, W w/Haas vs Damien/Orton, L w/Haas vs Lesnar/Jeff)
(12-14, 0-4) Jazz (0-3, 74) (L triple threat, L Mickie, L triple threat)
(20-25, 1-1) Chuck Palumbo (0-2, 68) (L Payne, L 6-man tag)
(21-28, 7-4) A-Train (3-2, 78) (W w/Shelton vs Orton/O'Haire, L O'Haire, W triple threat, W O'Haire, L 6-man tag)
(16-23, 1-3) Johnny Stamboli (0-2, 70) (L triple threat, L 6-man tag)
(19-28, 1-1) William Regal (0-1, 70) (L three-way tag)
(21-36, 1-5) Charlie Haas (1-2, 74) (L w/Shelton vs La Res, W w/Shelton vs Damien/Orton, L w/Shelton vs Brock/Jeff)
(18-31, 2-3) Tommy Dreamer (1-0, 71) (W three-way tag)
(15-28, 1-3) Lance Storm (1-0, 62) (W three-way tag)
(6-12-1, 0-1) Gail Kim (0-0, 69) (N/A)
(7-15, 1-1) Lita (1-0, 77) (W triple threat)
(12-26, 3-1) Sylvan Grenier (2-0, 70) (W w/Dupree vs WGTT, W w/Dupree vs Show/Payne)
(6-14, 0-2) Molly Holly (0-1, 74) (L triple threat)
(14-33, 3-2) Rene Dupree (2-1, 72) (L Rico, W w/Grenier vs WGTT, W w/Grenier vs Show/Payne)
(6-27, 1-2) Rob Conway (0-1, 68) (L three-way tag)

(Overall Won-Loss, Season 2 W-L) Lower Midcard (Oct. W-L, Overness) (Matches)
60.7 (17-11, 0-2) Mark Jindrak (0-1, 60) (L 6-man tag)
48.2 (26-28-1, 3-3) Kane (1-2, 66) (L Damien, W w/Show vs Damien/UT, L 6-man tag)
25 (2-6, 0-1) Shawn Stasiak (0-0, 68) (N/A)
25 (2-6, 0-3) Fred Williams (0-1, 61) (L triple threat)
(1-5, 0-1) Shaniqua (0-0, 52) (N/A)
(1-6, 0-3) Tom Howard (0-1, 52) (L triple threat)

(Overall Won-Loss, Season 2 W-L) Opener (Oct. W-L, Overness) (Matches)
(1-3, 0-1) Jacqueline (0-0, 60) (N/A)

(Overall Won-Loss, Season 2 W-L) Future Endeavors (Oct. W-L, Overness) (Matches)
(3-13, 0-2) Lance Cade (0-1) (L triple threat)

Non-Wrestlers (Overness)
Eric Bischoff (97)
Shane McMahon (86)
Al Snow (75)

Managers (Clientele)
Dawn Marie (75) (None)
Bill Alfonso (71) (Rob Van Dam, Rhyno, Lance Storm, and Tommy Dreamer)
Terri Runnels (70) (None)

RAW Title Changes
WWE Tag Team - La Resistance beat Big Show and Payne (substituting for Kane) (10/18)
Women's - Trish Stratus beat Mickie James (10/4)
World Heavyweight - None (Chris Jericho has been champ since 9/27)
United States - None (Chris Benoit has been champ since 8/22)

RAW Feuds
Rhyno vs. Chris Jericho (88 Heat)
A-Train vs. Sean O'Haire (85 Heat)
Shelton Benjamin vs. Randy Orton (84 Heat)
TBD

OCTOBER 2004 RECAP

SmackDown!

(Overall Won-Loss, Season 2 W-L) The Elite (Oct. W-L, Overness) (Matches)
(46-26, 8-5) The Rock (6-2, 99) (W Matt, W 6-man tag, W Matt, L w/Cena vs Violence, W Jeff, L 6-man tag, W UT, W Matt)
(47-28, 7-7) Brock Lesnar (5-5, 97) (W Rey, L 6-man tag, W w/Tajiri vs Cena/Rey, W Rey, L w/Jeff vs Rhyno/Rico, L w/Xian vs Eddie/Rey, W 6-man tag, L three-way tag, W w/Jeff vs WGTT, L Eddie)
(44-30-3, 10-5) Chris Benoit (7-3, 94) (W O'Haire, L w/Y2J vs Rhyno/RVD, W w/Y2J vs Eddie/Rico, L RVD, W w/Y2J vs Cena/Rock, W Rico, L w/Y2J vs Rhyno/RVD, W Rico, W RVD, W w/Y2J vs Londrick)
(43-34, 6-9) John Cena (4-6, 97) (W Orton, W 6-man tag, L w/Rey vs Brock/Tajiri, L Tajiri, L w/Rock vs Violence, L Y2J, W Tajiri, L three-way tag, L Xian, W Jeff)
(37-35-2, 9-5) Chris Jericho (7-3, 96) (W Rhyno, L w/Benoit vs Rhyno/RVD, W w/Benoit vs Eddie/Rico, W Rhyno, W w/Benoit vs Cena/Rock, W Cena, L w/Benoit vs Rhyno/RVD, W three-way tag, L Eddie, W w/Benoit vs Londrick)
(34-34, 5-5) Christian (5-3, 94) (W RVD, L 6-man tag, L Eddie, W Eddie, L w/Brock vs Eddie/Rey, W 6-man tag, W three-way tag, W Cena)
(30-33-1, 7-6) Tajiri (4-4, 91) (L Eddie, W w/Brock vs Cena/Rey, W Cena, W fatal fourway, W London, L Cena, L three-way tag, L Rhyno)
(34-39-1, 7-8) Eddie Guerrero (6-4, 99) (W Tajiri, W 6-man tag, L w/Rico vs Violence, W Xian, L Xian, W w/ Rey vs Lesnar/Xian, L 6-man tag, L three-way tag, W Y2J, W Brock)

(Overall Won-Loss, Season 2 W-L) Upper Midcard (Oct. W-L, Overness) (Matches)
(41-24, 4-4) Matt Hardy (1-3, 97) (L Rock, L Rock, W w/Jeff vs Dudleyz, L Rock)
(35-32, 3-6) Rey Mysterio (1-3, 94) (L Brock, L w/Cena vs Brock/Tajiri, L Brock, W w/Eddie vs Lesnar/Xian)
(29-31, 8-5) Rico (4-4, 79) (W Damien, W Dupree, L w/Eddie vs Violence, W Jeff, W w/Rhyno vs Brock/Jeff, L Benoit, L 6-man tag, L Benoit)
(13-26-2, 5-4-1) Paul London (2-3, 77) (L Jeff, W Hurricane, L Tajiri, W w/Kendrick vs Metros, L w/Kendrick vs Violence)

(Overall Won-Loss, Season 2 W-L) Midcard (Oct. W-L, Overness) (Matches)
(18-11, 8-6) Jeff Hardy (4-5, 79) (W London, L 6-man tag, L Rico, L w/Brock vs Rhyno/Rico, L Rock, W 6-man tag, W w/Matt vs Dudleyz, W w/Brock vs WGTT, L Cena)
(34-21, 3-3) D-Von Dudley (1-1, 77) (W w/Bubba vs Metros, L w/Bubba vs Hardyz)
(32-23, 3-3) Bubba Ray Dudley (1-1, 75) (W w/D-Von vs Metros, L w/D-Von vs Hardyz)
(35-27, 2-3) Dave Batista (0-1, 80) (L Chavo)
(25-21, 4-2) John Layfield (1-1, 74) (W Stevens, L Hurricane)
(14-15, 1-4) Billy Gunn (0-2, 71) (L w/Kanyon vs Dudleyz, L w/Kanyon vs Londrick)
(16-19, 3-2) Nova (0-1, 70) (L battle royal)
(4-5, 3-2) Brian Kendrick (1-1, 62) (W w/London vs Metros, L w/London vs Violence)
(15-19, 2-4) Chris Kanyon (0-2, 73) (L w/Gunn vs Dudleyz, L w/Gunn vs Londrick)
(3-4, 1-2) BJ Whitmer (0-1, 63) (L battle royal)
(3-4, 1-2) Trent Acid (0-1, 62) (L battle royal)
(3-4, 1-3) Christian York (0-1, 61) (L battle royal)
(25-35-1, 3-3) Chavo Guerrero (1-1, 77) (W Bats, L battle royal)
(21-30, 2-1) The Hurricane (2-1, 83) (L London, W battle royal, W Layfield)
(10-17, 2-2) Jamie Noble (0-1, 64) (L battle royal)
(10-18, 1-1) Test (1-1, 72) (L battle royal, W Funaki)
(7-17-1, 1-2) Akio (0-1, 66) (L battle royal)
(6-29, 0-5) Nunzio (0-1, 72) (L battle royal)
(5-27, 1-3) Carlito (0-1, 72) (L battle royal)
(2-14, 1-3) Funaki (0-2, 63) (L battle royal, L Test)

(Overall Won-Loss, Season 2 W-L) Lower Midcard (Oct. W-L, Overness) (Matches)
(1-2, 0-1) Jay Briscoe (0-1, 56) (L battle royal)
(1-2, 0-1) Matt Stryker (0-1, 56) (L battle royal)
(1-2, 0-1) Colt Cabana (0-1, 52) (L battle royal)
(6-16-1, 1-1) Mark Henry (1-1, 58) (L battle royal, W Gowan)
(2-6, 0-1) Johnny Jeter (0-1, 45) (L battle royal)
(1-8, 0-2) Zach Gowan (0-2, 57) (L battle royal, L Gowan)
(0-2, 0-2) Vito Thomaselli (0-1, 56) (L battle royal)

(Overall Won-Loss, Season 2 W-L) Openers (Oct. W-L, Overness) (Matches)
(2-3, 0-1) Generalin Intikami (0-1, 45) (L battle royal)

(Overall Won-Loss, Season 2 W-L) Future Endeavors (Sep. W-L) (Matches)
(3-14, 0-5) Aaron Stevens (0-1) (L Layfield)

Non-Wrestlers (Overness)
Eric Bischoff (97)
Tazz (72)

Managers (Overness) (Clientele)
Paul Heyman (94) (Dudley Boyz)
Theodore Long (66) (Mark Henry)

SmackDown! Title Changes
WWE World - The Rock beat Matt Hardy (10/10)
Intercontinental - None (Jeff Hardy has been champ since 7/15)
World Tag Team - None (Hardy Boyz have been champs since 8/22)
Cruiserweight - None (Tajiri has been champ since 8/22)

SmackDown! Feuds
Eddie Guerrero vs. Christian (94 Heat)
Rey Mysterio vs. Brock Lesnar (92 Heat)
John Cena vs. Tajiri (92 Heat)
TBD

<font color=goldenrod>WWE Raw – July 5, 2010
The Viper Strikes

Money in the Bank is shaping up to be a stellar pay-per-view, with another blockbuster match being added to the already stacked card tonight. Also, the WWE World Cup continued on and the participants in the Raw MITB match jockey for position on tonight’s edition of Monday Night Raw.

Sheamus def. John Morrison
Both of these men will serve as Pros for NXT Season 2, which premieres tomorrow night, but tonight they were in one-on-one action. Trying to build momentum before the Raw MITB match, Morrison continued his streak of excellent matches, nearly collecting an upset over the former WWE Champion. But tonight belonged to the Celtic Warrior, who was able to catch Morrison off guard with a Bicycle Kick and then deliver a brutal Irish Curse to win the bout.

Triple H issues a challenge
“The Game” Triple H walked out to the rampway to deliver a message to Sheamus. Sheamus may have put him on the shelf for a couple of months, but he will be back and better than ever to extract his revenge. In fact, he thinks he’ll be set to compete by, say, July 18th at the Money in the Bank PPV, and he wants a match against Sheamus. Sheamus laughed and accepted the challenge – claiming that Triple H just made the worst decision of his life.

WWE World Cup – Raw Group C: The Miz (1-0) def. Justin Gabriel (0-1)
These two Raw MITB participants took each other to the limit with World Cup standings on the line. Gabriel has been thrilling the Raw fans with his high-risk style of offense, but tonight it cost him. For the second straight week, Gabriel’s face smashed onto the mat as his opponent dodged the 450 Splash. Miz picked up the pieces with a Skull Crushing Finale for the win.

Following the match, the Viper struck. Randy Orton, another Raw MITB match participant, came out and RKO’d The Miz. Then when he got back to his feet, Justin Gabriel also received an RKO. Randy Orton has sent a message to his MITB match opponents tonight.

Shawn Michaels announces tonight’s main event
It didn’t take long for the message to be received. Raw GM Shawn Michaels appeared on the Titan Tron. Based on what has transpired last week and this week, he can tell Orton is itching for a shot at WWE champion Edge. So tonight, those two men will face off one-on-one.

WWE World Cup – Raw Group B: Zack Ryder (1-0) def. Evan Bourne (0-1)
The WWE World Cup continued with a bout involving two more Raw MITB match participants. For the second match in a row, one of the participants’ acumen for using high-risk moves served as an undoing. Evan Bourne got to the top rope, only for Zack Ryder to pop up and trip Bourne, casuing him to land groin-first on the top turnbuckle. Ryder also ascended the turnbuckle and hit an impressive Rough Ryder from the top. Bourne hit the mat hard, and it was enough for Ryder to get the victory.

Mixed Tag Team Match: Natalya & Tyson Kidd def. Maryse & Primo
Primo’s horrendous luck continues. Despite being paired with the sexy Divas champion Maryse, he could not put together a win. As number one contender Natalya and Maryse brawled outside the ring, Tyson Kidd was able to lock in the Sharpshooter on Primo. It didn’t take long for Primo to tap out. Maryse walked off looking disgusted, her match against Natalya will come soon enough.

WWE World Cup – Raw Group A: Wade Barrett (1-0) def. Goldust (0-1)
Chris Jericho mockingly applauded The Hart Dynasty on their victory, but then said the real show was about to begin. His partner Wade Barrett was in World Cup action against Goldust. Barrett showed off his English street fighting roots, and made it abundantly clear why he won NXT Season 1. Most superstars would have a difficult time against Goldust, but Barrett made it look shockingly easy, picking up the win with his forward fireman’s carry slam. The Hart Dynasty will certainly have their hands full at Money in the Bank when they defend their Unified Tag Team Titles against Barrett and Jericho.

WWE World Cup – Raw Group D: Ted DiBiase (1-0) def. William Regal (0-1)
This wasn’t even a match. The United States champion entered in a suit, much to the confusion of the veteran Regal. DiBiase produced a bundle of Great Britain pounds from his jacket, and offered to give it to Regal in exchange for an easy countout win. With Mark Henry and Michael Tarver staring at him menacingly, a smirk came across Regal’s face and gladly took the money and the defeat. Just more proof that everybody has a price.

Non-Title Match: Edge def. Randy Orton
John Cena was introduced before the participants, as he’d be at ringside for commentary for our main event. This was another very solid match between the former teammates of Rated RKO. Both men brought intensity, and nearly connected with their finishers on several occasions before the opponent countered. The fight spilled to the outside of the ring, where Edge threw Orton into the steps. Edge rolled Orton back into the ring before walking over to the commentary table and taking a cheap shot at Cena. Cena chased Edge back into the ring, where a rejuvenated Orton was waiting for an extremely quick RKO. Orton pinned the champion, which is something we might see at any given second if Randy walks out of Money in the Bank victorious.</font>

<font color=goldenrod>100 overness?</font> :eek:

I know! I really wish I had a strong enough heel to go up against her. I'm trying to get Jazz more exposure and I have a surprise debut coming up on RAW that will hopefully rise up quickly. Feuding her with a suitable heel could give me my first female member of the Elite! ...not really sure what good that would do since all the Divas are on RAW, though. Maybe I could split them up a bit in the draft in four months?

<font color=goldenrod>Yeah, your women's division seems to be getting pretty good. Expanding it between two shows may not be a bad idea.

I gotta sort some shit out with the women's division in my game. I gave Beth the Women's belt and plan on having Natalya win the Divas belt. I may just unify the belts and allow the Women's champion the right to float along with the tag champs and (eventually) TV champ. SD's division is horrid, the only two women there that can work are Beth and Serena (who I haven't had wrestle yet but will likely be Beth's next feud).

May have to do what M-A-G did in his game and hire a ton of women to development - maybe in a few years I'll have a shitload of talented ladies ready to restore credibility to the division.</font>

NOVEMBER 1, 2004 - MONDAY NIGHT RAW

The first show of November, just two weeks before Survivor Series, is one of the biggest of the year! Three major feuds will come to an end as Chris Jericho defends the World Title against Rhyno in a Hardcore Match, A-Train and Sean O'Haire battle it out one last time inside a steel cage, and John Cena and Tajiri's final battle will end when one man can draw first blood! Plus, one more SS team is introduced, and an exciting challenge is issued!

But first, a pair of former WWE Women's Champions go toe-to-toe as Mickie James takes on Jazz! Decent quality match, but the fans get into it, as both of these Divas are definitely on the rise. Mickie lands a tornado DDT on Jazz, but before she can go for a cover, former WCW wrestler/valet Daffney hits the ring! She hits Mickie with a Frankenscreamer, and the ref calls for the bell. Jazz and Daffney double-team Mickie, and it looks like Mickie's in for even more trouble when Gail Kim's music hits, but to the surprise of everyone in attendance, Gail actually helps drive Jazz and Daffney off. There's an uneasy look between Mickie and Gail as they stand tall.

The announcers run down the Survivor Series card when Christian's music hits, and Captain Charisma makes his way to the ring. He grabs a microphone and introduces his five-man team for the Survivor Series. He introduces an exciting young team that's made up of Randy Orton, Test, Carlito, and Nunzio! A great young nucleus of talent that's going to make things tough for whoever goes up against them!

Up next is a very exciting one-on-one encounter between the Elite's Brock Lesnar and former U.S. Champion Rob Van Dam. Both guys put on a tremendous match, with RVD making a strong case for getting himself into the Elite. Eventually, though, Lesnar puts RVD away with the F5.

Shelton Benjamin heads to the ring for our next match, but before it starts, he cuts a promo on Randy Orton. Short and sweet to help cover up for Shelton's charisma issues, but it definitely looks like this feud is coming in for a landing.

Benjamin's opponent is the United States Champion Chris Benoit. It's an exciting match, but it's cut short as Orton hits the ring and blasts Shelton with the RKO, allowing Benoit to pick up the win. The two heels beat Shelton down after the bell.

One of the great success stories of the last year has been the Natural Born Ministry's rookie monster Damien. But he has a tough challenge ahead as he takes on the WWE Champion, The Rock! Damien possibly puts on the best performance of his career, but it's ultimately not enough as the champ puts him away with the Rock Bottom. After the match, Damien gets a measure of revenge as he chokeslams The Rock and leaves him laying.

Undertaker continues his surprising run of quick losses next as he takes on Eddie Guerrero. Eddie hits a pair of dropkicks, a running senton, and Diamond Dust to set up the Frogsplash. What has gotten into the Dead Man lately?

After the match, Eddie grabs a microphone from ringside and issues a challenge to Christian. The two of them have been tearing the roof off of every arena they've been in over the last couple of months, and they've accomplished their original goal of working their way into the Elite. But the back-and-forth is getting old, and it's time to put this to rest. Starting Friday night on SmackDown!, let's do a best-of-three series. Friday night, next Monday, then if neither of us can pick up two wins in a row, then next Friday night, we end the whole thing in an Iron Man Match! Christian comes out on the ramp and accepts the challenge. This is going to rock!

A steel cage lowers from the ceiling as the first part of our triple main event kicks off. It's A-Train versus Sean O'Haire one last time inside the cage! Decent match that the crowd is way into. Eventually, O'Haire takes the advantage and puts Train away with the Prophecy, putting him out long enough to climb up and over the top of the cage for the win!

John Cena and Tajiri's First Blood match is up next, and it's just as exciting as the rest of their battles. When this feud started, Tajiri was the upstart, gunning for the former WWE Champion trying to establish a name for himself. Now as a card-carrying member of the Elite, Tajiri put the finishing touch on his resume for a title shot by blasting Cena in the head with a lead pipe, splitting him open and picking up the win! After the match, a bloodied Cena extends a hand to Tajiri, showing incredible sportsmanship after this brutal war.

And now for our main event. Rhyno has been chasing the World Heavyweight Championship for eight months since coming to the red brand, and the WWE Title for about six before that. The Manbeast has been thwarted at every attempt, but now that he's got Chris Jericho in his match, a Hardcore Match, maybe he can turn things around in his favor! Before Rhyno can even make it into the ring, Jericho hits an Asai moonsault onto him on the floor with a steel chair. He blasts him with a kick for two. He goes for a piledriver, but Rhyno backdrops out of it, then hits a slam and a spinning neckbreaker for two. He uses a monitor from ringside to lay Jericho out for two more. He hits another clothesline, then attempts an avalanche only to eat Jericho's boot. Jericho hits a running senton for two, then a slingshot senton for two more. Legsweep by Jericho, who then hits a springboard kick sending Rhyno into a table. Jericho charges, but gets a foot to the face, then another slam. Rhyno hits a standing spinebuster to pop the crowd. An injured Jericho staggers to his feet... GORE! GOOOORE! GOOOOOOOOOORE! Rhyno hooks the leg. One! Two! Three! NEW WORLD CHAMPION! The crowd comes unglued as Rhyno goes to each corner in turn, raising the World Title belt to the crowd, emotion wracking his face, and the last image of RAW is Rhyno strapping the belt around his waist, soaking in the adoration of the crowd.

<font color=goldenrod>Rhyno</font> :eek:

NOVEMBER 5, 2004 - SMACKDOWN!

Tonight's SmackDown! will see the debuts of three new Superstars, as well as the debut of another Survivor Series team, a series of matches between the members of the Reyes de Lucha Libre and the Next Big Things, and our huge main event, the first match in the best-of-three series between Eddie Guerrero and Christian!

We open with Tough Enough Season 3 winner John Morrison making his debut against Richard J. Criado, one of the best technical wrestlers in the world. It's a very exciting match that the crowd slowly warms to. In the end, Morrison picks up the win with the Moonlight Drive.

Avery Thompson, who just graduated from the WWE training camp a month ago is already making his way to the main roster tonight, making his debut against fan-favorite Rico. Thompson seems to have something against Rico and is a bit overzealous in his attempts to put him away. Eventually, Chris Kanyon makes his way to ringside and he hangs Rico out across the top rope, allowing Thompson to hit his finisher the Stiff Neck on Rico for the cheap win. Afterwards, Kanyon and Thompson work over Rico.

Thompson grabs a microphone and cuts a definite rookie promo about how he's a sexual-harassment lawyer and he's representing Mister Kanyon in his case against Mister Constantino. Rico, you've officially been served. Pretty awful promo, so that's probably the last time I'll give him a live mic.

Our next four matches will pit the participants in the Reyes de Lucha Libre vs. Next Big Things Survivor Series match against each other. Up first, it's The Hurricane against "Nature Boy" Dave Batista. Hurricane still has a bone to pick with Batista over he and John Layfield putting Aaron Stevens out of WWE forever last month. It's a pretty solid match with Hurricane getting the advantage. The ref gets bumped as Hurricane sends Bats to the floor. He crouches down, ready for the Shining Wizard, but Bats clocks him with the ring bell and goes for the cover. The ref must have come to just in time, though, as he signals for the disqualification! After the match, both men brawl up the ramp and out of sight.

Their partners Nova and Tajiri are out next, and these two former ECW cruiserweights put on a tremendous contest with Tajiri eventually putting Nova away with the Kick of Death.

Jamie Noble must have drawn the short straw, as he goes one-on-one with Brock Lesnar! Lesnar hits a belly-to-belly, a neckbreaker, a spear, a DVD, then the F5 for a squash win. After the match, Rey Mysterio hits the West Coast Pop on Lesnar to leave his rival laying. Afterwards, Noble seems to be favoring his arm. Looks like he has a legit injury coming out of the match. What will that mean for his team at Survivor Series?

Rey remains in the ring, as he teams with Chavo Guerrero against the Hardy Boyz, hoping to even the score at two apiece between the SS opposing teams. It's a very exciting match with all four men taking to the air at every opportunity. Rey looks to be about ready to put Matt away after a big huracanrana, but before he can, Lesnar returns the favor from earlier, blasting him with an F5! Matt picks up the cheap win, then Lesnar hits the ring for a 3-on-2 beating. The Next Big Things have a clear advantage going into the Survivor Series in just nine days!

Backstage, Eddie Guerrero introduces The Warriors, the team he's fielding to combat The Coalition at Survivor Series. He's joined by Rico, Paul London, and the World's Greatest Tag Team! What a fantastic quintet Eddie has put together!

Up next, two members of the Elite go head-to-head as John Cena takes on the United States Champion Chris Benoit! It's a really good match, and Benoit is putting more and more effort into his matches. He'll probably do more as he picks up the submission victory with the Crippler Crossface! After the match, Benoit snaps and lays Cena out with a chair! Benoit is a crazy man!

Up next is a match that, up until four nights ago, would have been champion-versus-champion. But now that Chris Jericho has been defeated by Rhyno, he's looking to bounce back against the WWE Champion The Rock! Not surprisingly, they put on a fantastic match that Rock eventually wins clean with the Rock Bottom. Rock goes to shake hands with Jericho, but Jericho lays him out with a big punch then clamps on the Walls of Jericho! What a cheap-shot artist!

And now for our main event, the first in a best-of-three series between Eddie Guerrero and Christian! Once again, these two put on the match of the night. Eddie hits a big DDT, then lands the Frogsplash to pick up the win and go up 1-0! Can he end the feud once and for all Monday night on RAW?

In light of Jamie Noble's arm injury, it was announced on WWE.com that newcomer John Morrison will be taking his place on Rey Mysterio's Reyes de Lucha Libre Survivor Series team. What an opportunity for the youngster!

<font color=goldenrod>WWE NXT – July 6, 2010
Season 2 Premiere

NXT is the perfect opportunity for eight men to live their dream. Since the end of Season 1, we have seen all eight participants make their respective marks on WWE programming. For the NXT Rookies of Season 2, their foot is now in the door. Who will be able to kick that door wide open?

Matt Striker explains the Rules
The track to becoming WWE’s next breakout star is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. As such, the length of this season of NXT has been significantly expanded. After six weeks, the first Pros Poll will be revealed. Rookies will be scored based on four factors: Win/Loss record on NXT, quality of opponents, work ethic, and the “it factor”

Six weeks after that, another Pros Poll will be conducted, with the Rookie coming in last being eliminated from competition. Elimination-bearing Pros Polls will then take place every other week until it’s down to the final two. Those two men will compete one-on-one on December 14th to determine the winner. The winner will receive a title match of their choosing live on PPV.

Alex Riley issues an open challenge
After the introductory video and pyrotechnic display, out walked World Heavyweight champion Jack Swagger along with his rookie, Alex Riley, wearing a letterman’s jacket. Swagger boasted that his rookie is the perfect fit for him – an All-American wrestler. Swagger said that his rookie was ready to make an impact, starting right now. He then whispered something in Riley’s ear while handing over the microphone.

Riley validated all of Swagger’s statements – he was an All-American wrestler from American University in Washington, DC. And with the guidance of a great role model like Swagger, there is no way he isn’t going straight to the top. He then boldly issued a challenge to any of the other seven NXT rookies.

Eli Cottonwood (1-0) def. Alex Riley (0-1)
A wall of flames illuminated the arena, and out walked one of Swagger’s opponents at Money in the Bank, Kane. Coming along with Kane was an absolute monster of a man – he stood a couple of inches taller than Kane with long hair, a goatee, and a jacket reading “Kelloggs Sanitarium”. This was Eli Cottonwood, Kane’s menacing rookie.

Perhaps Riley will think better of issuing open challenges next time, as Cottonwood threw him around like a rag doll. Cottonwood seemingly enjoyed inflicting pain on Riley, his twisted smile matched only by that of Kane at ringside. Cottonwood finished off the damage with a huge chokeslam before getting the first victory of NXT Season 2. A horrified Swagger pulled his rookie out of the ring as Cottonwood and Kane simply exchanged nods of approval.

Sheamus def. Donny Marlow (0-1)
Having the opportunity to face a former WWE champion in your first match in the company is a fantastic opportunity, and Donny Marlow took it to heart. Sheamus almost appeared unprepared for the amount of fight that Marlow brought to the table, and very nearly lost the matchup. But Sheamus was able to right the ship and pin Marlow following the Irish Curse, setting a good example for rookie Titus O’Neill at ringside. Marlow’s WWE Pro MVP helped his rookie to his feet and patted him on the back for his fantastic effort against “The Celtic Warrior”.

Kaval (1-0) & Ted DiBiase def. Joe Hennig (0-1) & John Morrison
Last week, United States champion Ted DiBiase quipped that he had the “best rookie that money can buy”. That statement may very well be true as Kaval electrified the WWE Universe with his insane hybrid of high-flying and martial arts. The most impressive maneuver he pulled off was also the move responsible for netting his first victory. With Joe Hennig laying face-up on the mat, Kaval landed an excruciating double-stomp from the top turnbuckle. First impressions are key in WWE, and Kaval has left a great one tonight.

Not to be lost in all of this was the great effort by Joe Hennig. The son of Mr. Perfect showed some excellent poise and possesses a wrestling style very reminiscent of his father. He was able to go toe-to-toe with fellow second-generation star Ted DiBiase, and may very well have been the first WWE Pro to lose to a Rookie this season if he didn’t reach the ropes and tag in Kaval. John Morrison seemed quite pleased with Hennig’s performance, so look for further development from him in the coming weeks.

NXT is back, and it’s better than ever. Tune in next week as we will see more action from these young men trying to make a statement, including the in-ring debuts of Drake Brewer, Titus O’Neill, and Johnny Prime.</font>

<font color=goldenrod>WWE Superstars – July 8, 2010
Unfortunate Twist of Fate

As always, WWE’s weekly dual-branded show provided plenty of entertainment as the superstars from both Raw and SmackDown look to make their marks to slide up the ranks of their respective shows.

Mark Henry def. Yoshi Tatsu
In his first match since becoming an associate of United States champion Ted DiBiase, a ruthless Mark Henry made short work of Yoshi Tatsu, mercifully finishing the bout with The World’s Strongest Slam. “The World’s Strongest Man” may be the best bodyguard that money can buy. After the bout, Henry raised Tatsu to his feet only for Michael Tarver to send him right back down to the mat with a right hand.

Skip Sheffield def. Vladimir Kozlov
Last week on Superstars, Sheffield lost a close bout to Goldust before being attacked by his former Pro on NXT, William Regal as well as his comrade Vladimir Kozlov. Tonight, Sheffield was able to gain a measure of revenge as he faced off against Kozlov. The Moscow Mauler showed his Sambo prowess and used several headbutts, but it wasn’t enough to stop Sheffield. Sheffield showed great power and won following a vertical suplex pin. Afterwards, Goldust chased away William Regal before he could deliver a cheap shot with brass knuckles.

Luke Gallows def. Darren Young
Much like last week, Young fell victim to a numbers game that comes with facing a member of the Straight Edge Society. While Joey Mercury was able to distract the official, Serena tripped up Young from the outside. That left Young as easy prey for a Gallow’s Pole and a victory for Gallows. With two losses in two weeks to Punk’s disciples, one has to wonder if Young will be able to bounce back in the coming weeks.

Dolph Ziggler def. Matt Hardy
Our main event certainly didn’t disappoint, as the two experienced superstars put on quite the clinic. Coming off losses in their first try at the WWE World Cup, both of these men needed a strong showing to build some momentum for their next match. Ziggler showed some extra tenacity on this night, which should benefit him greatly at Money in the Bank in just 10 days. Hardy went for the Twist of Fate, but took a bit too long to showboat, as Ziggler surprised Hardy with a rollup victory. That was quite the unfortunate twist of fate for Hardy, but a great win for Ziggler.</font>

<font color=goldenrod>WWE SmackDown – July 9, 2010
Standing Tall

With Money in the Bank just over a week away, everybody on the roster is hoping to generate momentum. World Heavyweight champion Jack Swagger made his presence known to his opponents, and the WWE World Cup continued on. All of this and more took place on another thrilling Friday night.

WWE World Cup – SmackDown Group A: Rey Mysterio (1-0) def. Vance Archer (0-1)
Rey Mysterio has made a career out of being the underdog, and tonight was no exception as he was completely dwarfed by big Vance Archer. After several big power moves by Archer, Rey decided to change things up. He took Archer out of his comfort zone by utilizing his speed. Archer attempted to catch him, and wound up tripping over and landing on the ropes. Following a 6-1-9 and West Coast Pop, Rey had himself an upset victory to begin his World Cup.

CM Punk’s proposal
Continuing a trend over the past several months, CM Punk decided to involve himself with Rey Mysterio after his match. Punk appeared on the Titan Tron and explained that ever since beating him at Over the Limit – he’s become obsessed with forcing Rey Mysterio to accept the straight edge lifestyle and remove his mask. They have already agreed to meet for the fifth and final time at Money in the Bank – but a match of that magnitude needs even higher stakes. Punk wants Rey to put his mask on the line yet again – and Punk will put his hair on the line. Rey, as always, accepted the challenge and before you knew it, this match just got much, much bigger.

WWE World Cup – SmackDown Group D: Cody Rhodes (1-0) def. Finlay (0-1)
Ever since being drafted to SmackDown, “The Uncommon Man” Cody Rhodes has been looking to score a huge win to jumpstart his solo career. This match may be just that, as he withstood the stiff offense of the 30-year veteran Finlay and picked up the victory after the Cross Rhodes. Cody not only bested a man far more experienced than him, but also begins his World Cup with a flawless record. Look for big things from Cody Rhodes in the coming weeks.

David Otunga def. MVP
Last week, MVP lost his World Cup match against Shad Gaspard due to surprising interference from David “A-List” Otunga. Tonight, MVP looked to give Otunga some payback as he officially became the final NXT Season 1 rookie to sign with a brand. Both superstars seemed evenly matched, until Shad Gaspard ran to the ring and distracted the referee. This enabled Otunga to land a low blow on MVP, followed by a Spinebuster for the victory. It appears as though Shad returned the favor from last week – but the question is, why?

WWE World Cup – SmackDown Group C: Christian (1-0) def. Chavo Guerrero (0-1)
Last week, Captain Charisma said he would win the WWE World Cup. Tonight got off to a good start towards validating those statements with a strong win over Chavo Guerrero. The match was a back-and-forth battle until Chavo ran towards the cornered Christian and was promptly hit with a Pendulum Kick. Chavo stumbled and Christian took advantage and got the win with the Killswitch.

Jack Swagger has a message for his opponents
World Heavyweight champion Jack Swagger delivered a promo from backstage. He said he that he was looking forward to watching the Brothers of Destruction beat the tar out of each other tonight, “The All-American American” might just have a surprise up his sleeve for later on in the night.

Non-Title Match: Bryan Danielson def. Drew McIntyre
Since coming to WWE, Intercontinental champion Drew McIntyre has not lost very many matches, however the 10-year veteran Bryan Danielson might just be his toughest competition to date. These two SmackDown MITB competitors gave it their all, but McIntyre just seemed to have no answer for Danielson’s innovative offense. McIntyre became yet another in a rapidly increasing list to tap out to the Cattle Mutilation, generating a head of steam for Danielson and possibly putting him into consideration for a title match in the very near future.

Beth Phoenix ambushed backstage
New WWE Women’s champion Beth Phoenix was watching the show in the locker room when she fell victim to an ambush at the hands of Lay-Cool. With Vickie Guerrero barking orders, Layla and Michelle McCool looked more vicious than ever. Security was alerted to the scene and helped break it up, but not before the damage was already done.

WWE World Cup – SmackDown Group B: Kofi Kingston (1-0) def. Curt Hawkins (0-1)
It was not a good night for the Hawkins and Archer tag team, as Curt Hawkins was also defeated in singles action, being pinned after a Trouble in Paradise as Kofi Kingston grabs the World Cup win. Vance Archer hit the ring and laid out Kingston with a huge Big Boot, much to the crowd’s disapproval. Although tonight was not their night, Hawkins and Archer will live to fight another day.

Kane def. Undertaker
The Brothers of Destruction have clashed on many occasions, and often times Undertaker has gotten the better of the exchange. That was not the case tonight. Undertaker grabbed Kane’s neck in preparation for a Chokeslam, only for the lights to go out and the bells to toll. When they came back on, Undertaker looked around surprised only for Kane to catch him in a Chokeslam of his own for the victory. But before Kane could celebrate, the lights went off again as the bell tolled once more. When they came back on, Jack Swagger was in the ring with his title belt in hand, and he blasted Kane with it. Swagger was behind the light and sound effects all along! This was certainly the surprise Swagger alluded to earlier, and the champion has certainly made a statement to his Money in the Bank opponents tonight.</font>

<font color=goldenrod>Wrestling Observer Exclusive:
WWE Signs Four Developmental Talents

Fueled by rumors that WWE intends on utilizing its Florida Championship Wrestling territory as a revolving-door minor league system for new talent and promoting participants on WWE NXT television program to the main roster, we can now confirm that WWE has bolstered its developmental roster by signing four workers to contracts.

The most noteworthy signings are Jay and Mark Pugh, better known as Jay and Mark Briscoe, from Ring of Honor. The Briscoe Brothers were given tryout matches last November prior to a SmackDown taping, in addition to tryout matches in Florida Championship Wrestling. It's been said that WWE is trying to find ways to improve the floundering tag team division, so signing an experienced team with two versatile workers makes sense. It remains to be seen whether or not they retain the Briscoe name, with Wes Brisco, son of WWE agent and Hall of Famer Gerald Brisco currently employed.

Another former Ring of Honor employee, Kenny Layne, formerly known as Kenny King, has also been inked to a contract. Layne had fallen victim to Ring of Honor budget cuts in early June and has since been competing for various independent promotions since. WWE feels that Layne has the charisma to succeed on the roster, and will report to FCW to further hone his in-ring skills. This will be a homecoming of sorts for Layne, who was a participant on 2nd season of Tough Enough (which was eventually won by Linda Miles and Jackie Gayda).

The final signing is 28-year old Canadian wrestler J-Busta. From Montreal, J-Busta has spent the majority of his career competing as a territorial worker throughout the Northeastern United States. Clearly, scouts saw something in him, as he has been brought on board.

All four men should be starting up with FCW before the end of the month. It remains to be seen how long it will take any of them to appear on WWE television.</font>